Theday after

This is about as energetic as we all felt early this morning. We had a few busy, but very good days. The family and friends are gone and we are left with good memories and lots of left-overs.
It started with a very meaningfull church service on Christmas Eve. At the end everybody, about 250 of us, gathered in the gym, with a lit candle and we sang the old carols in four part harmony. Getting out of church took a long time. Jeanette and Tony were along and this is the only time Jeanette will meet up with her buddies from her childhood. On Christmas day we had good company, good food and then presents. Now it is back to the two of us. When the sun came up we saw a winters' wonderland. The trees were covered with frost and and everything looked like a picture. Right after breakfast we went for a walk, but I missed the best part, when there still was some fog hanging in the fields.
I have tried to take pictures of birds with my new camera, but I have not been very successfull. After a few pointers from Tony I feel like I can do a better job. I took this picture of a woodpecker this morning, through a window in the kitchen. Mom and pop woodpecker are both around, but I have never seen them together. They seem to take turns at the feeder. This one, with the red spot on his head, is the male.

Tomorrow it will be back to some sewing. My plan is to have all 9 mariner compass blocks done by year end, at least the machine sewing.

Winter breakfast

That is the name of this wall hanging. When I made this 2 years ago I had seen all the birds at our feeder, though not all at the same time. Then a few decided to take a break. But that was till a few days ago.
Mom and pop woodpecker and mom nad pop cardinal have returend. I only saw cardinals here once before and it seems that we are as far norht as they go. You never see both of them. They seem to take turns. So do the wood peckers.
It has been another stormy week. No church on Sunday. We stayed indoors, except to blow snow and do the chores.We had a quiet day.
The bottom picture I took through the window. I cannot get any closer, or all the birds fly away. The suet ball has a small stick through the top, what hangs on the hook. It looks terrible, but this feeder is in a very windy spot and this way the birds do not have to be scared to be blown awayThe Christmas cards have been send, the tree is up, most of the gifts have been wrapped and the cookies have been baked, so I feel that I can spend some more time on the Mariner Compass quilt.
By now I have to figure out what I will do for the sashing and that will have to depend on how much fabric is left over. Still have not learned to get enough fabric right from the start.
I hope that you all have a great and safe Christmas and that the new year presents you with lots of joy and happiness in your life.

Christmas arrangements

It has been a quiet week here on the farm. Winter is still here, so most of our time is spend inside. But there was the job of cleaning the workshop.
We have a heated workshop on the farm. During the busy season equipment, that is in need of repairs, is driven in and repairs are done. What is not done, is the clean-up afterwards. So that was one of the jobs we tackled a few days ago. The floor was swept and things were put back in their right place. Then I decided that I might as well make my arrangements right there and use the picnic table. Usually I do that in the kitchen ,but there is always a big mess to lean up. This way all I have to do afterwards is get a broom, sweep the left overs in the tractor bucket and that's it.
On my visit to the One-of-a -kind show in Toronto last month I bought this small container, or really there are two, one inside the other. I love the shape and came up with this design, using my own yuca leaves, dogwood, corkscrew hazel, euyonymus and some cedar. The carnations I bought in town today.
Dogwood, corkscrew hazel, euyonymus and 2 ivies in a shallow bowl with water and cranberries.
I had so much fun ,that I had to make a third one, quite similar.
Here are the rest, still without the carnations. The start of most of these was a piece of wetted foam in a big mug .I will not keep most of these. Tomorrow I will put them in the car and deliver them to our neighbours. The deal is, that if they give me the container back, they will get a refill next year, at least if I'm still in the business of doing this.
Today I bought our (real) tree. It will have to wait till Saturday before I will put it up.
Still plodding along with the compasses. Will finish the piecing on number 7 tomorrow. Then I will put the machine away and instead work on finishing the blocks
And yes, there has to be some baking done yet too.

Gallery show

Snow, sleet, freezing rain, hard winds we had them all in the last week. Talk is now, that we will have an old-fashioned winter with lots of snow. I do not mind some snow, but Laurence is just dreaming about getting his snowmobile out.
Last Thursday the quilts were hung at the gallery and on our way home from Jenny's on Saturday we stopped by and had a look. It is a very good display and it was fun to see so many of my quilts hung in good light.
I had brought a little of everything. Something new, something old, some large and some small. This show will stay here till the end of the year. So, if you are in the neighbourhood, stop by and visit the quilt and knitting store on Woolwich Street in Guelph.
It is the time of year again to be thinking of making Christmas cards. I have made 10 cards for years now, but I just realized that I never kept any back for myself, so I have forgotten what all I have made over the years. I do know, that I never came up with this card. I made 11 this time and one will stay with me!
The background is a piece of ragpaper I bought years ago. I ripped the edges, the rest has been fused on. I put a piece of ribbon at the top, so it can be hung. Now my yearly letter in Dutch yet. This is about the only time I write in Dutch and it is not getting any easier. When I talk to my relatives we use the Frisian language.
This year my plan was to get all the greenery I need for my arrangements before the snow would make it hard. Last week the forecast was for maybe some rain and not too cold. Boy, were they wrong. So again this year I will tramp through the snow to get cedar, boxwood, holly and twigs. Next week will be the time to make big and small arrangements. I just keep on going till I run out of "stuff"