Sunday 29 January 2012

Big Garden Birdwatch, Gifts & Sewings

This weekend is the second annual Big Garden Birdwatch I have participated in. The idea is from Great Britain, where they have been doing it for a long time already, and are doing there this weekend as well. The morning was sunny and cold (-15C), promising a good possibility to see the birds coming to our feeders.


We had a long mid-morning coffee break, with the camera on a tripod, and managed to see 11 bullfinches, 5 great tits,


1 blue tit,


1 yellowhammer, 1 jay, 1 magpie and 1 blackbird. The time limit was one hour, but there have not been too many birds after that so I think we chose the best time for watching. The weather is so cold now that the birds are saving their energy and only come a few times a day to eat.

The mailman has brought me some gifts from friends for no particular reason, which is always very nice. This cute potholder in shadow knit came all the way from Australia from Kaite:


This is a very clever way to create a pattern on a knitted surface. The link will take you to her blog post where she explains how to knit it. Thank you, Kaite!

A very bulky envelope from Melanie came the other day, and now I'm prepared for Halloween for the first time in my life:


Now I see one of her pumpkins needs fastening. It must have come loose when I filled the sack with some sand in a plastic bag to weigh her down. She has a lot to carry! This is a very Melanie project: stitcheries, wool, crow, ghost, great colours. Thank you, Melanie!

I have been busy too, and reducing my stash of fabrics. I made these three aprons for the Club people to wear as a uniform in Villa Cooper when they are working there:


Sorry about the busy background, I just threw them on DS2's bed on the 9-patch quilt because there was more light than in the other rooms.

I hope you are all having  a nice weekend. I'll be back soon with the Scandinavian Christmas quilt BOM.

9 comments:

  1. As I read this post Mr. Creations is out filling our bird feeders. Still no snow and clear blue skies today. What sweet gifts to receive, just because. Aprons are a terrific way to use up your stash.

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  2. I do believe my daughter's neighbourhood in British Columbia does the same thing with birds. I think it's a great idea. You can then check what you've seen in years past. I do love your little birds. Ours here are so very dull in colour.
    Great gifts in the mail and those aprons are a very nice way to use up some of your stash.

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  3. I would have loved to join you watching the birds. This is the first year we have a bird feeder on our table, so that we can always look at it, when sitting at the table. I so much enjoy that, everytime a bird passes by. I know the Dutch names but am too lazy to look up the English names for them LOL
    How wonderful to get such lovely presents in the post, just like that.
    And some lovely aprons. Makes working so much more fun!

    PS: Love your winter banner.

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  4. Gosh - your bird photos are wonderful, Ulla! It's nice to see that you finally have some good snow, too! What great gifts received! I love making aprons - these will be so appreciated at Villa Cooper!
    Cheers!

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  5. Love seeing your birds, Ulla! Our tits are only grey, but they have a little crest on the head. We don't have bullfinches. Your birds seem to be more colorful than ours.

    Nice aprons - love the fabrics.
    Hugs!

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  6. I love the winter wonderland pictures; looks like a brilliant day watching cute birds! Great aprons too!

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  7. i love your new header, a white fairy wunderland. Your pics of the birds are so clear, you must be patient.
    And what an exciting gift from Melanie, so exotic and full of fun.
    Glad the small knitted piece reached you safely, it's a nine patch.

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  8. Great post to read,Ulla. Must have been so interesting watching the birds!Love all the handcraft you show:-) Beautiful colours on your header.

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