Since I agreed to do the Christmas project on two Sundays, I didn’t have a chat post last week. I will be doing the project assembly this Sunday, so let’s chat today. It was shop hop week, and of course, I did my share. I couldn’t resist the black backgrounds on both these fabrics, one with the beautiful tones of blue and purple, and the other with its Thanksgiving theme. There was a bin of partial cones of the thread I use a lot in these nice colors, so I snagged four of them. Then the black tone on tone fat quarters, green tone on tone FQ and the pretty spring floral FQ were freebies. Oh well, just a little fabric in for Stashbusters.
Our neighborhood guild group had a Christmas in July program, with members bringing Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Future projects to show. I brought two Christmas quilts from the past, including my Christmas Trip Around the World quilt.
My Christmas Present was this project. I’m doing it for a blog hop. The cutting and embroidery instructions were posted last Sunday. The free pattern and finish will post this coming Sunday, with a pdf download.
Christmas Future was a handful of Christmas prints that I have and I have no idea what I’ll make with them. The gals in charge brought a little tree and Christmas cookies to get us all in the mood.
The bird feeder continues to have a steady stream of brightly colored visitors. Sitting outside earlier in the week, My Sweet Babboo and I heard a different bird call than we’ve heard before. He brought up Merlin, and it identified the song as a Kingfisher. I’ve never seen one of those, although they live in our area. We don’t have a water feature on our property, other than two small creeks, and usually they stay near lakes. I did not get a photo of it, as we couldn’t find it in the trees. But the goldfinches kept stuffing their beaks, oblivious. That is until a bear came in the middle of the day and shook it down. My Sweet Babboo usually puts a tie wrap on so that can’t happen, but he thought the bears had left for the high country. Apparently not.
The dahlia gave me another gorgeous fuchsia color bloom.
The veranda was more pleasant for a couple of days early in the week as the humidity went down and the temps cooled off. Early morning and later evening are the best times, sitting at dusk and watching the fireflies in the meadow and trees like little Christmas twinkle lights. Just about all the pots have blooming flowers, from the under-table pots full of white begonias, to the pink geraniums, to the little pot next to the bench sporting deep blue lobelia.
Jasper came by for a meal, this time staying on the cooler grass to munch down the treat.
The garden is going well, no caterpillars on the tomatoes so far. I’ve been keeping up with the diatomaceous earth and it seems to be working. Of course, a bit of Sevin dust on the dirt doesn’t hurt either. I have a lot of green tomatoes, but fewer this year than last year. I think it is because I had to plant so late.
There are several clusters of little cherry tomatoes, sweet and delicious. Can’t wait!
While I was working on the Christmas project, I looked out the windows when a bit of movement caught my eye. The bobcat was stalking something just outside. I grabbed the camera, and tried to get some shots. These are taken with one of my point-and-shoot cameras through a screen so not great. But you can see it.
It slinked slowly forward, and went up the flowerbed next to the hydrangea. I would estimate that it weighs about 35-40 pounds, it is much bigger than the cats around here. You can see its short tail in this picture if you look closely. Whatever it was hunting got away though.
Then, a short time later, the hummingbird made a visit to the hosta blooms. I finally got him on a photo. I put arrows on the photos so you can find him.
He has a black head and a brilliant red throat. When he finished with this flower he flew right to the window in the door where I was standing inside, hovering inches away! I was so startled by this that I just stood there watching him. It was only a moment, and by the time I recovered my wits and raised the camera again, he was gone.
The yellow calabrachoa flowers continue to bloom nicely.
I had to cut some of the gladiola and hosta blooms, both with long stems of cascading flowers in complementary soft orange and pretty purple. They look wonderful in a vase. The colors are so pretty, and I am thinking of making some paper again using the blooms for color.
My Sample Sale is running now, see the previous post HERE for details. Quilts, bags, wool work pieces, and home decor pieces all up for sale, first come first served. There are a bunch of things still available.
What has been going on in your garden, craft room, art studio and sewing room this week?
From My Carolina Home 
Always like your post! A bobcat in your yard!
A bobcat wow – they are in our area but I never see them. Love all the flowers. I don’t know why but so far I have not seen the caterpillar at the tomatoes either – I didn’t know putting 7 dust on the ground around them would help also.
I need to visit your sample sale! I missed checking on blogs yesterday or the day before, so I’m not optimistic but one never knows! That bobcat looks like one I wouldn’t want to tangle with! And I say any time you can grab a photo of a hummingbird — even at distance — is a gift!
Kingfishers are amazing birds. I hope you can get a photo one day
Your blog is always uplifting, Carole
What a fun week. A kingfisher and a Bobcat. We used to see a Kingfisher by my parents house when I was younger but haven’t seen one in many years.
I love your Christmas around the world quilt. I keep thinking I will make one but other projects catch my eye first. I love the glad and hosts combo for colors. Very striking. I may have to go pick up some glads from the farmers market this week.
How great to get the pictures of the hummingbird and then to have him come so close to the window! What an experience! Your guild Christmas in July event sounds fun, too. I love the look of your Christmas blog hop project. I ate the first batch of green beans from my garden last night – yum!
I always enjoy your chat posts, Carole! We haven’t seen a bobcat this summer, but they are close by for sure. The heat and humidity have been oppressive. Love seeing your blooms. Enjoy your Friday!
I’m ignoring the garden this year…..it’s going wild. Worked with one granddaughter on her Virginia Star Quilt, named for her by Edyta Sitar this spring. Made binding for a quilt, a matching hanging sleeve and a couple of quilt labels. Going to try and get that binding on today. I just love the way your embroidery Christmas project is turning out. It’s fun to work machine embroidery into your quilting. Your wildlife photos are so much fun. I love seeing the various squirrels enjoying their sandwiches.
The only thing going on in my sewing room for the past couple of weeks has been construction. I broke down and bought sewing machine furniture and was too cheap to pay $250 for it to be preassembled. I did escape for two 1/2 days of sewing with friends and got Quadrille webbed — just need to sew the rows together! YIPPEE! I wanted to tell you that one of my amaryllis plants is blooming right now! The other that has the same outdoor environment/conditions is not. Do you think the blooming one will bloom again this winter? I’m finding this very confusing not to mention hilarious … thinking Christmas in July! Lol
Next time Jasper stops by for a snack have a little PSA pamphlet available warning about the bobcat. It had a lean & hungry look. I love your little Christmas quilt & will probably be making at least one. It would be nice for each season. You flowers are so pretty. My meadow is filled with bee balm this summer interspersed with milkweed, Joe Pye & the occasional phlox or dame’s rocket. Soon it will be goldenrod. The colors aren’t as harmonious as yours but the bees and hummingbirds don’t seem to mind.
That was a great variety of topics and pictures! Thanks so much for sharing these. I understand your surprise at the hummingbird’s visit. When I clean and refill the feeders, typically I am visited by at least one. The hummers will hover a few feet away and just a little above my head patiently waiting for me to finish. Other times, they check me out when I am sitting or working at the outdoor table. They are such a joy to watch.
OMG such wonderful pictures! The bobcat was a real surprise, although you have so many species, bears, deer, birds!!!!! I’ve never seen glads that color! All your flowers seem to shine! Thanks for sharing all of this.
I so enjoy your chats and pictures. While I was camping for a week the deer came in and ate my beans down to the dirt…shame on them. At least they’ve left the tomatoes alone unlike my friends’ that the deer watch for them to ripen and only eat the red tomatoes. Wanting to thank you for the mystery quilt that is waiting for me to put the blocks together. Thank you for sharing so much with us.
Wow, you captured a picture of a bobcat! They are elusive. Although there are some around here, I’ve only seen 2 in 30 years.
The combination of hosta flowers and gladiolas is stunning!
I get kingfishers in my garden sometimes…… Very distinct sounds…… Pretty shy birds…. Mine are sacred kingfisher
It sounds like you have a whole menagerie of wild creatures stopping by for a visit. Neighbors have seen a bobcat in our neighborhood but we haven’t.
Such beautiful things! Imagine that big cat right in your yard! And the tiny hummingbird, too. You are so blessed to live there. I see a lot of rabbits and squirrels, an occasional raccoon or possum, and lots of flowers, but nothing like you have. Thanks for sharing.