Overdone

My enthusiasm to enter my studio and start sewing did not wane once Competition was over. I've been sewing like a fiend for a week, and various parts of my body are the worse for wear as a result (I overdid it, plain and simply put).

The string project I thought was to be a long-term, add-as-strings-became-available type project, saw itself as something entirely different and forced its way to the head of the queue. Trouble was, I didn't have enough strings in some of the hues to complete the required number of blocks (which I had increased a few weeks back in order to make the top twin-sized).

The first plan was this size, possibly finishing out around 56" x 70":

The revised plan, requiring 15 to 24 more blocks in the various hues, and theoretically ending up at 69" x 90":

Hide and Seek

As I grew out of childhood and into my teens, I remember thinking how tedious this game was, especially as The Seeker.

Its allure continues to dim the older I get, logarithmically I'd venture to guess.

As I close out August staying inside and away from the punishing Texas heat, chipping away at several piles in an effort to get them from over- to merely whelming, I find myself seeking things that "just a minute ago" were right there at my fingertips.

Talkin' Trash

I've been immersed in a ... new? continuing? ... project these past several days: making car trash bags (although I use them elsewhere too). The bags in their various stages are stashed have taken over all areas of my studio, as well as the dining room.

These 4 are done:

Project End

Today was the day to deal with the trimmings from the Twin Hugs. I can't seem to get enthused about another project until the flotsam and jetsam from the previous has been properly dealt with. Piled on the cutting mat is not "properly dealt with". So with plenty of passive-aggressive help from Zoe

all those striped fabrics were cut into Scrap User sizes (1-1/2" squares, bricks, and strips on the wall, waiting to be put in their container. Two inch, 2-1/2", and 3-1/2" items get put away immediately). Anything narrower than 1-1/2" but 4" or longer was tossed into the string bin, and finally anything between 1"-1.5" wide and 2.5"-4" long was tossed into the red tin in the mid-right side of the photo. Those will be sewn onto my ever-growing 2-1/2" or 3-1/2" scrap borders (one of which can be seen to the right of the scissors, secured with a green ponytail elastic.)

Zoe, once she settled down to cover half the trimmings, kept up a constant, annoyed beating of her tail (extra cat points for landing on the ruler as I was using it). She was letting me know in no uncertain terms that she was extremely dissatisfied with the quantity and quality of attention given, especially when she was so close.

Post-op again

Second cataract surgery this morning and my left eye is covered with a metal shield to protect it until tomorrow. The shield is held in place with surgical tape, run diagonally across whatever field of vision it might have offered, so I was basically one-eyed today (which, although cleared of cataracts 2 weeks ago, is still my weakest eye). My day of recovery consisted of providing a mostly unmoving lap for QI Zoe (who's recovering from her  own surgery on her front leg to remove a mass) and tearing strips of phone book pages from the inner half of these 25 blocks. A very good way to fill the time yet still make progress.

Cataracts

 I'm finding that lots of light, strong light, makes it easier for me to do close work for longer periods of time. This morning supplied that in spades.

Invasion of the Sleep Snatcher

The whole time I was working on my mother's quilt, another project kept simmering in the back of my mind. It wasn't simmering quietly, either. It was actively invading my sleep with weird dreams. So, as soon as I could in the evening after I finished "Jackson" (my goofy name for it, not my mother's!), I set to work preparing for Bonnie Hunter's Scrappy Trip Around the World using all those 2.5" strips cut from my bin of N1C (Not 100% Cotton) fabrics last week.

First thing I did was sort those 600-700 strips into lights/mediums/darks. Lots of hard squinting as I examined all those strips covering my cutting table, trying to determine whether a light or dark was really a medium (and vice-versa). That brought me to dinnertime. After another night of weird dreams, I was more than ready to take inventory and figure out my plan of attack.

Back in Oregon

I brought a project with me to Oregon this time. Although I'm still doing much of the cooking, and maintaining my mom's daily exercise and PT regime, and doing all the driving, there's more down/me time. I knew there would be, so I came prepared.

My hoop did not get broken in my luggage, so I was able to get right to quilting. Because I'm using a Baptist Fan pattern, and I had basted the top, I decided to start at a corner and work my way across one edge. It's awkward right now, but I'm encouraged by what I've managed in the last 3 days.

Sewing Machine (c'est moi)

As I said, I've barely been away from my machines for weeks. Aside from the chorus costumes (several tops and a pair of pants), I've been making some cute bags for my Baritones. (Despite the cancellation of our annual Regional Competition, the chorus will still get together soon to celebrate our accomplishments and hard work of this past year, and give gifts of appreciation to our sections and our leaders.)

It took 3 iterations, but I finally got all the dimensions figured out for this Strawberry Bag:

The first bag I made, using the dimensions listed by ikat in her instructions, was far too big to stuff into the corner pocket (that prototype now resides in the back of the car for my own use). So I increased the polka-dot square to 6".

Still way too small!

A Mischief of Corvids

Except for a 5-day respite in February, I've barely been away from my various machines for anything other than meals, chorus rehearsals, and sleeping.

The respite was the advent of the biennial flocking of the Magpies, when we all landed in San Marcos and spent some glorious time together at the QuiltCon in Austin, on the Riverwalk in San Antonio (the Alamo was evacuated and cordoned off due to an undisclosed package), watching cattle roping in New Braunfels, with plenty of down time thrown in just for chatting and schmoozing. For each group of uninitiated 'Pies, trips were made to the nearby Buc-ee's as well. (I just don't get the allure!)

Design wall: Sister

The upholstery fabric I used in CA quilts 6 and 7 has another colorway--burgundy.

I've got tons of those 11"x12" rectangles, plus a good-sized length, so using this up is my next project. As it turns out, only a portion of the rectangles will be used, but at least it's a start.

I can do this. I'm allowed.

I stopped working a 40 hr/week job almost 13 months ago. It stopped being the job for which I applied, for which I was trained, and in which I was interested. So I stopped doing it. We were lucky in that we could afford for me to do that; I understand just how lucky we are!

But my work ethic didn't stop, and the hardest thing I've found to do these past 57 or so weeks has been to indulge in just the sort of activity I longed for when I WAS working: sitting all day in the recliner, enjoying the rainy weather, snuggled in with my cats, reading or knitting or sewing or watching Netflix or playing word games. Essentially: doing nothing. Nothing at which I could look back and think, "Yep, today was a GOOD day. I got so much stuff done!"

So occasionally I have to remind myself: "I can do this. I'm allowed." Then I refresh my cuppa, snuggle back into my comfy recliner (the cats have kept it warm), and continue encouraging myself to just be retired!

Laptop is open, but ain't nobody logging on!

You have my permission to do this too. You're allowed.

Bye bye!

Food, glorious food

Hubby took to the road early this morning, travelling half the continent on two of the shortest days of the year on his new motorcycle. He's off visiting family; I'm at home enjoying my own company. The clowder is completely confused. There's still a biped in the house, but they don't know how to act. It's not the right biped. They hover, they perch, they pace, but they don't nag, which usually starts in the middle of the afternoon.

"The Loud isn't here. Will we starve?"

Clowdy with a Chance of Hairballs

Since I'm pinned to my recliner by one of the beasts, I might as well do something productive, such as blog!

I have it on good authority that I am sharing my life with a clowder, a new-to-me word which is apparently the collective noun for domestic cats. Hubby asked what would describe a group of non-domestic cats; I suggested "pride" (as in "... of lions"), but a pride of feral cats just doesn't sound right, does it?

Anyway... let me tell the story of our little clowder.

Wraith

Sneezy, grumpy, sleepy, and dopey

If there were characters named Whiny and Coughy, I'd be channeling them too, but not wine-y OR coffee. This nasty cold, that has had me mostly couch-bound since the end of February, makes coffee taste bitter, and the wine hurts my mouth. Even chocolate holds no interest right now. Of all the times to be completely disinterested in the things that comfort me!

My robe quilt has been my constant companion, and Wraith will even snuggle with me on the couch while I'm under it. Normally he doesn't cuddle, so that was a nice treat. Of course, he's probably just waiting for me to be done with it so he can go back to claiming it as his own.

National Drink Wine Day

Hubby informed me seconds ago that today is "National Drink Wine Day", the irony being that I'm low on that very substance and I was within walking distance of a supply several times today while running errands! Arrrgh!!

Perhaps had I been a little less ... erm ... "generous" last night, I'd have something to enjoy tonight. (Or, I could jump back into the car and fix this problem right now!) I don't know if it helped my free-motion quilting last night (emphasis on "free"), or just helped me accept the organic-ness of the results (I was aiming for in-the-ditch).

Anna's Quilt

Back in August I was asked by Nann if I would consider quilting the Hug being organized for Anna. Well, I have this super deep-throated quilting machine now, and a willing QI, and it's for Anna for heaven's sake, so of course I said YES!

The blocks were made by several Magpies (Anna knows who they are) and sent to MJ, who assembled the top:

21 years later...

... and the quilt my mother made for our 11th Wedding Anniversary is finally out of its box and in a place of honor. My mother Lois, her sister Elsie ("Ots"), my 1/2 brother Donald, and various other relatives (depending on who dropped in while it was being worked on) hand quilted this beauty.

You can probably see why it's never had a home before: 1) it's too precious to put on a bed and be worn out, and 2) it's HUGE!!! Once I broke the self-imposed barrier of thinking the ceiling had to be a stopping point, I suddenly had much more room with which to work and decorate.

Done, done, and done!

Done, ...

Whoo, baby! The project I'd been SO close to completing before/for the Australia trip is finally done and on the wall!!

This was a challenge wuh* I'd "completed" for the Rio Grande Valley Quilt Guild Challenge and show in 2002. The challenge fabric can be seen in the butterfly wings. The other element of the challenge was to use the "Flying Geese" pattern/block. The only quilting done on it was in the wings of the captive butterflies, and a tiny meander in the free butterfly's journey. All of that was done with metallic thread (I look at it now and wonder, "What was I thinking?" and "How on earth did I manage to do it so well?!?")

*short for "wallhanging", in honor of a certain Magpie who canNOT bring herself to say that word or create that item.

The only thing it really needed was more quilting in the body of the quilt, and a sleeve for hanging. I popped it onto my new-to-me quilting frame and free-motion-quilted a larger meander over all the rest of the piece. Going back and doing more quilting, on a frame, on a finished and bound piece can be a challenge in itself, but my Brother Quilt Club 1300 ("Sister") loves her new 'long-arm' status and quilts whatever I put on the frame with little to no problems or arguments. (Some long-arm quilters claim their machines are "thread snobs". I refer to Sister as a "thread whore"--she's yet to meet a thread she doesn't like!)