Thursday 5 January 2017

Tea Tangent and Free BOM's


Part of a hostess gift I received during the holidays included this tea, pomegranate white tea. I never used to think I liked flavoured teas as such; Earl Grey was about my limit for something different but these last couple of years I've developed more of a taste for them. It started with peppermint tea which I like when my sinuses are acting up, then I really liked the Earl Grey strawberry tea I had for a Mother's Day Tea one year and now this one which I'm enjoying very much.
 I do need two bags for my large mug.  It's become my late afternoon habit to enjoy a cup.


If you are interested, 27 Items All Tea Lovers Need In Their Lives is a great article featuring funny and sweet tea things for instance something my Hubby would love, a tea cup with a little built in shelf for his bikkie.

With almost a week into the new year already, it's time to get serious about choosing  new stitching projects especially those that are year long.
About that, I've made a little rule with myself; I can look but I'm not allowed to touch.  These first months are going to be finishing school for me.

There are a few free 2017 BOM's around the net. As I say,  I have been looking and in some cases I've downloaded the patterns just in case.  Just in case what exactly, I'm not sure; I live to be 120 and run out of patterns somehow.  Yeah right!

 Here is one of those BOM's, a surprisingly patriotic one.
2017 marks Canada's 150 birthday as a confederation.  Part of the tributes is this quilt composed of 150 red and white blocks with each block representing a particular pioneering Canadian woman.  It is a marvelous quilt to complete and the free patterns are being released 3 at a time.

                               Image result for The canadian 150 womens quilt


I have been hesitating to jump in mainly because it reminds me a lot of the Farmer's Wife quilt I worked on for 10 months of 2016.  By the end I had gotten tired of all the triangles and the exactness required for paper piecing each block.  But I must admit many of these blocks look easier and probably don't require all the little pieces that the FWQ blocks did.
  I love the reds and pinks and purples which make the quilt look so striking so you see I am tempted.
I will think on it.

Sara Barnes wrote about a neat little Stitch a long at her blog Brown Paper Bag. It is called 1 Year of Stitches and is based on Hannah Claire Somerville's 365 day project by the same name.  Hannah completed her stitch each day into her hoop and wound up with an eclectic, very arty looking piece of work.  It's wide open-the stitches, colours, patterns, whatever is all up to you so absolutely no pressure.


                   1 year of stitches: join the fun!

Sara provides the links so you can get all the details.  Again, I am so tempted.
  More later on about other stitch-alongs I've discovered. And please let me know of any you have found in your net travels.

I've talked about how Rex is always by my side. At night he makes a last sweep of the house and the very last thing he does is check my side of the bed before lying down in his bed.
I took this photo to show the after mess from making a Black Forest Cake on Christmas Eve.  I didn't realize it had been photobombed till I saw it on the computer.


I don't remember him being there; in fact I'm pretty sure I'd shooed him away.  Dogs and baking don't mix.

And see that kitchen window; here is my view out that window on January 1, 2017.


Wild, our weather has been wild.  Snowy, blowy, rainy, freezing back to snowy again.
Hope your weekend is calmer, at least weather-wise.

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