New Strings

This past week I have been having trouble with the internet, so I had to focus on the serious things like paying bills whenever I had the chance to do so. As soon as the trouble is over I will be back reading all the blogs I missed. Less time spent with the computer means more time spent with my other favourite, the sewing machine. I emptied a plastic bag full of strips and scraps on my cutting table and started playing:

First they looked like this when finished:

I sent this one to my mother for tomorrow's Mother's Day. Then I experimented with the size and form a little:

Finally I chose to make box corners to the tissue pockets:

With the two pockets I can't show photos of this makes 11 new finished projects for Stephanie's No Strings Attched Challenge. With the big blue and white quilt I'm up to 12 now, and there is still time until the end of June. It goes without saying that my bag is still full of strips just waiting to be used. I think I'll try to make a shopping bag next.

The weather here has been like April weather, rainy days and sunny days. The lawn is starting to look green, the daffodils are growing but still no buds to be seen. On a sunny morning I took this picture, where you can see the first hint of brownish green in a birch before the leaves bud. For the pollen allergics this is not a pretty sight.

   

The other day I caught the whole pheasant family having lunch under our bird feeder.  Mr. Sore Peak occasionally left his five wives alone when he had to attac the Basement Bird. I heard the hen pheasants quietly laugh at him just like women can smile at men who don't understand women's things: "He really has never seen a mirror before", they said. When he leant back, fluttered his wings and made his warning noise so the other cock knew this was Sore Peak's area, he almost fell on his tail feathers. The ladies did the only possible thing for a lady: looked away and paid no notice.