Finally - sun!

We had some very chillly, gloomy days this week, but yesterday it started looking very nice, and today it's even better.  I finally snapped a picture of the bowtie quilt which I hope to get to Bags of Love very soon.  It was made with swap blocks from my online group.  Most people made one or two blocks to swap, but Debbie and I decided to swap 10 blocks each.  I made enough extra blocks to make this crib-sized quilt.

I took part II of my online walking foot quilting class on Thursday and, while my Elna doesn't cooperate when it comes to using fancy stitches to quilt, I did learn quite a bit that I can use right away.  In fact, yesterday I quilted two Christmas table runners using things I'd learned in class.  I just need to put the bindings on (by machine of course), and then I'll be able to take them down to the florist's to sell along with some Christmas stockings.   Everyone seems to be getting an early start on their holiday shopping, me included.

I have a few other things I want to quilt right away, but those I'll save until gift giving time during the holidays.  Most were made with "Snowflake Bentley" fabrics .  Wilson Bentley was a Vermont farm boy who was the first to figure out that each snowflake is different from all the others.  Beginning in 1883, he photographed the ones he caught, and his photos are now in the Smithsonian.   Marcus fabrics has a line featuring a panel with 8" individual snowflake blocks.  So far I've made two table runners and several hot pads and potholders with the blocks.  I'm running low on accent fabric, unfortunately.

This morning we took a quick trip over the antique mall.  It's usually closed for the winter right after Halloween, but this year the owner says he isn't reopening in May except to hold a closeout sale.  We wanted to wish him a happy retirement and to see if there was anything we couldn't live without.  I found a "Delft" (made in Belgium) plate that looks nice among all my other Dutch-themed things in our powder room.  I have been looking for a small table for our front hall, but no luck.  The plant stand covered with a quilt will have to continue there, maybe forever.

In my endless quest to lose weight, I started rowing this morning.  The nurse practitioner I saw suggested that I row at least 5 minutes a day until Thanksgiving at which time it will have become a habit I won't be able to stop.  I don't know about that, but today's session wasn't bad at all.

A Sunny Friday

I was up early today so Paul and I got his pills ready for the coming week before going grocery shopping.  I take him along these days so I don't have to find a staff person to reach the top shelves.  Everything I buy - bread, selzer, milk - seems to be unreachable on the top shelf.  We got some road food for our brief trip south.  We plan to leave Wed. and spend the first night in Wilkes-Barre, PA.   I no longer have relatives that I know of there, so it's just our usual stop on the way south.   

Thurs. we'll be in Virginia in a couple of spots and then Sunday we'll head further south for a few days.  We have no reservations for post-Virginia.  Just hoping to encounter some spring!    On the way home, we'll stop in Hershey, PA, for lunch with cousins I haven't seen in 50+ years.  I went out to a sugarhouse after grocery shopping for some maple syrup to give them.   

I doubt if I'll get much if any sewing done today, but it's OK.  I've been working diligently on scrappy Hunter's Star blocks most mornings this week.  When my machine was in the shop, I cut out all the pieces I need to finish with my Go Baby die cut machine.  This is contrary to my usual way of doing things when I cut, sew, cut, sew, until done.   I can get 5 or 6 blocks done each day this way - I have 39 blocks made so far, and I'm hoping for 56 or so.

Today, though, I have things to do before we leave for the trip.  I made some little portable greenhouses and planted cosmos and zinnia seeds.  This is an experiment using gallon milk jugs that I cut crosswise leaving the handles.  I punched some holes in the bottoms and filled them with potting soil before planting seeds.  I used duct tape to close them up again and put them on the back porch where they'll get sun and a little rain or snow.  A friend told me she does this every year with great success.  We have the milk jugs, so it's worth a try.

After that, Paul and I took a walk around the neighborhood.  We've had so much gloomy weather that it is a treat to be out in the sun.  Walking is important because I've been keeping a close eye on my activity level and food intake as part of my Preventing Diabetes class.  It's via Zoom and, although we started with about 20 people, we were down to about 8 in just a few weeks.  I haven't really learned a whole lot new, but it does help keep me focused.  It's sponsored by our local hospital, and Zoom makes it easier because I don't have to drive up there in iffy winter weather.