Lots of stuff going on!

Good Sunday morning to you all!!!

The sun is shining, the skies are blue and there's definitely a chill to the morning air.  Yep, Autumn is definitely here.  Yay!

We contemplated starting a fire in the wood stove this morning but opted instead to run the furnace through a couple of cycles to warm the house, just until the sun takes over once it rises higher in the sky.

The cooler temperatures means that it's soup time so my first pot of the season is simmering on the stove as I write this.

It should be ready just in time for lunch!

I spent yesterday afternoon with my friend Nancy who along with her husband, are vacationing in Maine and the Annapolis Valley region of Nova Scotia.  Just recently, Nancy and her husband returned to the US after spending three years in China where her husband was on assignment.  

When we both lived in Ontario, Nancy was my longarm quilter friend whose amazing work that she performed on my quilts I will treasure forever but since their return and her husband's retirement, she is now only working on her own stash of flimsies.  Maybe once she gets caught up she'll entertain doing a few of mine. *hint, hint*

While in China, they had the opportunity to travel extensively and here's what Nancy surprised me with yesterday.

Two pairs of embroidery scissors from Shanghai and a silk pincushion with matching thimble from Korea wrapped in a gorgeous fat quarter from 'The English Vegetable Garden Collection' by Rose & Hubble that she purchased while in Britain.  Nancy remembered my three loves...scissors, pincushions and gardening...very well.

Nancy also brought along her latest project for our own personal version of show-and-tell. 

She's working on this amazing quilt that is featured in the two latest issues of Quiltmania magazine, no's 107 and 108.

I have issue 107 and have just ordered 108 because I'm going to attempt it as well.

Have a look.  Isn't it amazing?

It's called "Brinton Hall" by Leigh Latimore.  

In the article, Leigh goes on to explain that her version of the quilt was inspired by an original piece made between 1803-05 by Anna Brereton who lived from 1756-1819.  Right up my alley!

This is probably going to be the most ambitious quilt that I've ever attempted in terms of all of the intricate work involved including EPP (English Paper Piecing), both hexies and clamshells, applique and patchwork.  I doubt that I would ever have attempted this project on my own but after seeing Nancy's progress, I know I can do it!  All it's going to take is time and patience.

I have also committed and joined in on an online sew along but I'll tell you all about that in my next post.  I'm so looking forward to both these projects!

And guess what I'll be doing at night in my 'spare' time while watching hockey?

Why knitting socks, of course!

I started my first pair of the season last night.

It smells yummy in here.  Better go and give the soup a stir!

Happy stitching!