turkey feathers

Above & Beyond

Up close and far away, the transformation from summer to fall is incredible here in my little corner of the world; the last hurrah before the bleakness of winter sets in.  This was the amazing view from our front porch this morning just as the fog began to lift.  Typical autumn mornings are cold here and often shrouded in a heavy mist that usually obscures all visibility.  Eventually, as it melts away, it reveals so much color drama that one is quite willing to stand outside shivering--as I sometimes do--waiting for that golden moment when the sun breaks through and highlights the landscape.  It's really quite thrilling.

Fab Fergus

I'm between projects right now.  Always, with quite a few in the "progress" stage.  And not just stitching.  I still can't quite believe it, but our tomatoes and bell peppers (inside the greenhouse) are still going strong.  A miracle!  But after the last few cold nights the rest of the garden is fading fast and needs attention.  These outdoor tasks do seem more urgent as the weather waits for no man.  Not here in the northwest anyway, where rain is always sort of looming on the horizon.  So no time to waste as it's been sunny and dry here for a few days in a row.  I picked the last of the green beans, canned more tomatoes, bundled up bunches of herbs to dry, and collected a few seeds for next year's plantings.  Still need to put in a few more hours out here before it's all covered up, tucked in, and put to bed.

Some of the trees are already starting to go through their color transformation.  So pretty.  I want to frame a bunch of leaves and herbs and hang them up somewhere.  This oak leaf was one I did a few years ago.  It's faded quite a bit, but still looks grand.  

Bonnie Lass

I've been a busy bee here, just happily rummaging through a wonderful bunch of old embroidery patterns that Adelle sent us (over a year ago); a shoebox full of them from her dear Grandmother Hobart.  Each one a treasure.  I'm pleased to say, some of them are now available as reprints up on the website.  It's a bit of a process, one that I enjoy from start to finish, and I still have quite a few more from this lot, and another stack I found at an estate sale, that I want to restore and share.  It's amazing how many transfer patterns were produced through the decades.  So many patterns, so little time!   

I also managed to do some fun stitching in between.  Thank you for the wonderful suggestions for Scottie names!  It gave me the push I needed to get going on this quilt.  I'm having fun with it.  One down, eight to go!