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Hail Guest, we ask not what thou art.
If Friend, we greet thee, hand and heart.
If Stranger, such no longer be.
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-Old Welsh Door Verse

Monday, February 18, 2008

Sunday? Monday?

Where am I?

Sunday, Sweet Sunday was indeed sweet and Monday wasn't bad, either.

I was having so much fun sewing on my quilt project that I didn't stop to update here. My project is coming right along. It's a pattern by Linda Worland of Paper Panache.




One of my mom's best quilt friends was acquainted with Linda Worland. When I commented that Linda's paper piecing patterns were amazing, her response was "Nothing ever scared that girl!" If you click on the picture to the full size you can see things like the straps on the King's sandal and the lips within the shepherd's beard. Teeny, tiny details pieced into the quilt that really bring it to life. My only problem working with this pattern is that I have to stay totally focused or I'll miss a fabric change. I've made several mistakes. Many I've had to rip and re-do; a few I've just let ride.

I read advice from a dollmaker once that stuck with me. Never give your mistakes to people whose houses you will visit frequently or they will haunt you whenever you "visit" them. In a way, I'm glad this will be traveling a ways to its new home.

On Saturday night I had finished one of the pink rows in the "...Spring?" quilt. Here it is:



It was really fun to do, although I suspect that I will be wishing I had the discipline for rotations as I get toward the longer borders. This little piece only took two evenings; the longer borders will take longer and that last one is boring compared to this one (c'mon - this one has ladybugs!)

And, by the end of Sunday, I still had clean workspaces in the kitchen!

Make it Healthy Monday turned out to be more for my emotional health than physical. I spent some time finishing up a union chore that felt like an accomplishment. I put out the trash and recycling, including remembering to put out some attic flotsam that's been sitting in the "clearing room" since before Christmas. I went to the storage center and rented a unit. You'd think two people in a four-bedroom house could manage to store everything on premises, but we're learning that when a family of packrats stays in the same house for over 30 years, you don't get the periodic cleaning out exercises that a more mobile family will get every time they move. We've got stuff stashed everywhere. We're pitching a lot, cleaning and saving some but the process takes time and space to accomplish. Add into the mix that DS2 moves back into the old master bedroom at the end of April (and the room needs extensive work before he does) and the pressure is on.

About 1:00 I was feeling very relaxed and it occurred to me that I could do whatever I wanted to do. What I wanted to do was kick up my feet in the recliner, put a blanket over my legs and finish the book I was reading. Once I had assumed the position I realized that, if I wanted to, I could even take a little, 30-minute nap. It was quiet and warm and delicious.

I woke up two hours later.

What a lovely day. I could learn to like this life.




3 comments:

Unknown said...

Your paper pieced quilt is looking very good. I have several paper pieced patterns for small squares, but I haven't tried any of them. Someday.

That's why storage unit companies are booming! If we didn't have boxes stored in the back hallway (and a hallway big enough to store boxes and walk through) and a four car garage with one car in it, we would need storage space, too. Even with moving every couple of years, it's always easier to throw stuff in boxes than look at each thing and decide what to do with it and where to put it. That's one of my goals for the week James is in Hawaii. Go Through Boxes and mostly toss stuff away. If I haven't missed it/used it in four years, then out it goes. But then again I am pretty ruthless about old stuff. No children to save anything for.

Chiloe said...

I'm happy you had a great and relaxing week end ;) We can feel by what you wrote that life was good during this week end :-D

YOur quilts are beautiful! I love the one with the pink !!!

Pack rats live in my home too (but I'm afraid, I am the pack rat !!! lol )

Samantha said...

that 2 hour nap sounds like heaven. So does the cleaning. We did a lot of that lat week...