Cutting, stitching birch branches

Cutting little bits of fabric backed with fusible into tiny branches is absorbing, a little like cutting up colored paper in childhood. It doesn't look much different, but I added several branches, painted on the shadows and free motion stitched them down.

I still have a fair bit of stitching to do on the background trees, all the while keeping in mind that it is background. I don't want to over do it. Right now, I have white thread on the machine. I'm almost ready for some grey and then some black.

Only then can I start laying down the foreground rose hips. I must be patient. Each little step is exciting though as I watch it come alive.
I stopped at that point as the yard was calling to me. The wind had dried most of the wet and it was quite mild out. Since getting the cortisone shot in my hip, I can manage about an hour of garden work if I'm careful to vary the tasks. I raked a bit, tied up a couple of trees, and clipped some dead hostas.
It feels good to have done a bit of outdoor work.
Most of the brighter orange and red leaves have fallen; the landscape has turned to greys except for a few later turning golden hued trees. The tamaracks are brilliant gold right now. The apple leaves are still quite green. They're always the last to go.
I picked up these two from the trail the other day. They were flat and dry but it was the pattern and color that caught my eye.

There's always something beautiful to see when you're paying attention!