Short and sweet.

Summer is racing to the finishing line, but we are not ready for it to end just yet.  The humidity is now a thing of the past and the days are cooler with sunshine and comfortable temperatures, which make spending longer outdoors, a treat.

This smock dress is almost complete, it just needs a snap at the back where the placket is.

All I had was white or silver ones.  Stopped at The Sewing Cafe and Anna had some black one's.  So glad she had some.

It is the first time I tried this pattern, what is really great about this one, it has room for the arms, so it can easily be worn over a long sleeve top and leggings. Perfect for winter too.

 This little dress has no smocking, another pattern which is new.

 Scalloped collar is something which is a first attempt.

Sleeveless.  When I saw the fabric, I knew this was the pattern for it. The Horse Quilt Shoppe has it.

It has one button on the back.

Diane is stitching up a storm, Jane Bannister is almost finished.

Have a wonderful long weekend.

Smocking and stitching.

 

 It is funny how some girls just will not wear pink.  They wear colours that suit them and they look beautiful.  In a household filled with guys, smocking is the one area to enjoy being a girl. When we moved more than five years ago, all the smocking was packed up in a rubbermaid and left waiting.

This past week it was opened up and the smocking came out to play. 

 Each dress is unique.  The smocking plates differ, so do elements that create each one.

 This dress needed more growth bands, as this little one is on the short side.

 Instead of a matching collar, this one has a white one, with covered buttons. It also has a bow tie at the back.

Puffed sleeves with smocking and lace on the edge of the sleeves.

 Sleeves with a binding edge.

 A sleeveless dress.

Sleeves with smocking but no lace detail.

Plain sleeves, with a small hem.

Using decorative buttons on the back, this dress has waist bands.  The buttons can be moved, as the child grows.  This dress was one, where I played with different ideas.  It will be going to my nieces new baby daughter.

Future smock dresses?  Went to the store to get thread, these caught my eye and followed me home. (The dresses will eventually arrive on my Etsy store).

Diane did some more stitching on Jane Bannister.  It will be finished soon.

An unexpected parcel arrived in the mail today.  It is from Judy, a fellow retreat buddy! She reads the blog and noticed the baby quilts this year, so she sent me these beautiful stitched pieces to make a baby quilt.

Bunnies with a frog catching a free ride.

Squirrels play hide and seek.

A lamb frolicking with the butterflies in the meadows.

A bear enjoying honey.

It arrived with this lovely card, Thank you Judy.  It will be used to create a one of a kind baby quilt.

Enjoy the rest of summer, it is my favourite season of the year.

Summer time.

We are enjoying all the days of summer.  All the warm days, beautiful sunshine, nature and all the good food.  Corn on the cob cooked on the barbeque.  Eating watermelon and getting all sticky in the process. Embracing each day with joy.

A first quilt, what an experience! This young lady had two more quilts cut out and they were waiting in the wings to be sewn as well.  She just jumped right into quilting.

 This is The Hertfortshire Quilt.  It has been packed away since last year.  Pulled it out to start working on the next round.

 Since then, have added these three  lines from Brenda Riddle to the collection of fabric for this quilt.

 Nine patches have been started and the triangle squares.

 This is a closeup in the book of what the next round will look like.

The Aussies arrived safely back home.

WIP's.

After a hectic two weeks we are getting back to normal again.  It was amazing to spend all this time with family that came a very long way to see us.  We made lots of memories and will always treasure them close to our hearts.

 Yesterday the chimney's got stitched. 

Doing just a little bit, at a time. This pattern is broken down into these minute details, making the stitching so much easier.

Niagara Falls, the power of nature,  in motion.

Last week thursday, a few quick gifts needed to be whipped up.  A table runner, kit from The Hobby Horse Quilt Shoppe. It took twenty minutes.

An advent calendar. This one brought back memories from when we were kids, growing up.

It was layered, pinned and just quilted. 

The back, the binding was from a quilting project a few years back.  The leftovers from older projects came in handy, to complete this one.

 Dish Towels.

The Aussies wanted to take back something truly Canadian.  It had to have a maple leaf on it, except trying to find these gems, proved elusive.  So these were done on thursday and friday, with special names added for friends back home.

 Diane worked on Jane Bannister, it will be done soon.

 A rainbow, in the afternoon. Every time we go, we still smile at the rainbows which appear.

 The lights change colour, which is amazing to watch. This was the view we fell asleep to...