I'll cave

I will cave and do the look back thing. My main crafting goal was to organize and finish projects I'd been dragging around with my from as many as three home moves.

Strawberry swirls gifted to Mrs. Miller, the wife of a coworker. Oldest WIP

Pastel Windows gifted to Jenn, baby A's mama

Troubled Waters gifted to T-Bob

Window cushion for the boys

Shawl given to Blueman's friend Aggie

Gifted to baby A's g-ma

Christmas gift for bff's mama.

Gifted to a former co-worker who has lost her memory of me.

These are some of the give aways this year.

Due to website issues, I'll finish the made but not gifted items separately. I will say it was a joy to share these gifts with others. I hope they feel the same.

Last day

Late wake up, late start, late first meal....wonderful! Now I just have a half day to fill with hundreds of ideas.  No major projects will get started. That's okay, I have many things in progress and that's ok.

I'm going to unpack my new sewing machine. I'm so silly. It feels disloyal to use or attempt to learn how to use a new one. My Singer has been good to me mostly. Even though it somehow managed to drop a needle yesterday. That was new. I just feel like we've been through a lot together and if I put a new machine on the table, then will I ever create with my old friend again?

In the meantime, this is what's on one set of needles.  Odds and ends for this one. I had or was given some pretty lavender and broken with the rainbow pastel yarn, I was afraid it would look too "baby shower" but the bigger it gets, the more I like it.

Happy Boxing Day!

Half way....half full or half empty?

Merry Christmas!  We spent a few hours with the sib and ate too much and exchanged presents. Then it was off to church where the choir sand three anthems as well as the five or six carols with the congregation and we did this twice!

The sub wins the award for best present given as the one Blueman opened made half of us cry. It makes up for ill fitting or just odd picks!

The gift I'm giving to myself is an easy day, maybe some sewing ( no maybe involved ) and a drive tonight to look at Christmas lights.

A dying tree but still prettier than my Cookie Monster!

Four one one

so my four days of break from work started off with a bang.
I got the maternal units laundry done and to her, I managed to get a few gifts for Blueman as all I had were gift cards (which he likes) but I thought of something late Friday and so, stupidly, went out yesterday to get it. Knitted more on project three, and finished another late present.
I moved the Un-dancing Santa and replaced it with the mutant blue tree.

So FOUR days, ONE is gone and I made ONE last gift.

Sib likes purple, so I tweaked a couple of hand towels. Wanted to do a piecework strip, but...maybe next time.

If Cookie Monster threw up on my Charlie Brown tree... It would be this little blue "monstrosity"!

Merry Christmas Eve! Family brunch ahead with two church services tonight. I'm hoping for a nap in between!

Four days

I have four days off work and my goal is to make them count! I haven't gone crazy with the lists of things I could do but I do have some ideas.
Sew
Knit
Laundry
Walks
Sing at church
Obligatory family time
Sew
Crochet
Nap
Errands
Sew and so forth.

Before. The ornaments are about an inch in size and the silly package only came with half as many hanging strings as was required. 

During. I forgot how annoying it can be when the ornament doesn't want to hang where you want it to hang!  The red at the bottom is the price tag. I'll probably cut it off. Eventually. Maybe.

New plan

A good chat happened on Friday and it was such an unexpected source for such a deep discussion.  It got me to thinking and I didn't like the results. Old habits have came back to haunt me and I am not interested in repeating that particular history.  So this weekend was a time to figure out a new plan.

I have some crafts I want to finish so that needs to be priority instead of guilty pleasure
I have certain chores that need to start getting done and stop being a guilty failure.
Eating habits, exercise routines and exterior tasks are all getting looked at.
Tis the season to be jolly....I've got a plan for that.

I made another set of pot holders as a gift. This time for a family member who likes purple.

The edge is off white, not yellow.

I'm also making some progress on the scrappy blue quilt. I have a friend/former coworker who is retiring at the end of January. 

Then there is the quilt I'm making for me and Blueman. I'm allowing a year for completion of that.

Several yarns projects working too. 

I'm truly a work in progress.

Not there yet, but close.

I managed to get the presents wrapped this afternoon. I sang some Christmas Carols as I wrapped and penned notes and just had an enjoyable time.  It's the first bit of holiday spirit that I've found. I think we might do some decorating and I might finish some last minute family gifts.  The sibling situation is not great. There is little communication and what there is...is strained. Awkward.  Hard to share the love so prevalent in the season when there is little common ground between us anymore.

It was too good an angle to pass up. Poor Griffin appears to have a headdress on when in fact it's just a cute blue Christmas tree I bought for decoration. Doesn't everyone need a blue Christmas tree? I'll decorate it this week. Perhaps leach some more spirit out of the decorations!

A difficult task done. Yay for me.

I hate hate hate trying on clothes. It's just proof that I should have re-gifted the two pound box of chocolates and I really should make time to get back to the gym.

For some reason I decided to try on some work clothes I hadn't had on since last winter or before.  I must have been high on choral music (choir had just ended).  A couple garments could still work with a little modification but a few just weren't going to work and normally I hold on to my clothes like a small child with the last piece of Halloween candy.  Tonight it seemed deceptively simple to try on, model for Blueman and then decide whether to keep or discard.

So just that quickly, I freed up some hangers, discarded some things I was never going to wear, and all without completely losing it or ruining my self esteem.

Yay for me!

Never too late

my oldest project found its forever home today.

Strawberry swirls went home with a coworker as a gift for his wife. She has medical needs and as we dip into some cooler weather, I figured this was as good an excuse as any to gift it. I'd been considering it for awhile but something kept holding me back.

Today was the day though so I did it!  So much fun to give them away, so nerve wracking beforehand to worry about how it will be received. Prayer shawls are fun to make and a nice break from sewing. I like the idea of giving a reusable hug to someone who might need it.

And? I only have four left in my stash and that's very nice.  Woohoo!

Cleaning people

I hate housework. I can ignore dust motes like nobody's business. On my eight months of utopia, paradise, non working experience, I was responsible for keeping our house from falling into an episode of hoarders. I was moderately successful. Visits from the in laws did much to spur the cleaning frenzy along.

Fast forward to my new life where I'm a working drudge again and those 45-50 hours working/commuting plus the additional "get ready" time has dwindled my cleaning time significantly. So Blueman tweaked the finances and we are going to try a cleaning person every other week. Floors and potties to start. Of course I've spent an hour putting thing away before they get here. It's as bad as the threat of an in law visit. That's what it takes to de clutter my house apparently. Heck, imagine what I'd do if it were someone really important!

When do you KNOW you've lost it?

Is it when playing word soup with your spouse and the made up word pitboom makes you laugh like a loon?

Or is it when a coworker misuses yet another common phrase and you don't even blink, you just write it down on the list. I.e. "You've been gone so long we thought you fell into the obese." (Abyss)

Perhaps it's when you sit down and get covered by cats and it doesn't cause you to blink.

When you realize you have dressed all kinds of wounds and it no longer bothers you, is that when you know?

It's probably when you put the hash browns on your breakfast sandwich because it's easier to eat while you drive.

You can't tell how many hours you've wasted watching building off the grid/tiny house/holiday baking/90 day fiancé/little women television shows. That's probably a sign.

The dryer lint seems a good subject matter for a blog pic.

Or when this picture seems to be perfect for this post.

Quality control! There are tots in my fries! It came to me this way!

Growing. Me, the knitting and fun along the way.

I've been expecting one thing from my sibling while getting far, far less in return. It's been this way for awhile, but I still get hurt and amazed when this happens. My usual m.o. When this happens is to vent to Blueman and spend  waste an evening stewing and feeling bad. Tonight I tried a new tack. I told Blueman what happened then advised I needed some time. So I sat down, read some blog posts, knitted a little and let it go. I'm still a little sore about the situation but not in a cursing angry sort of way. The bright side, I'm telling myself, is that I handled the situation on my own. Look at me. Growing as a person!

Something else is growing. My knitting is coming right along. I have three yarn projects going and one sewing. Variety is the spice of life!

I'm guessing we have ten inches on it. It's so pretty and lightweight. Rainbow Boucle -America.

The funny thing, while soothing myself with the needles, I heard what I thought was a vibrating text message. I didn't want to bestir the feline chilling on my chair, so I waited to go get the phone. Turns out my phone was in the laundry room. The vibrating noise was a series of belly groans from the feline. I guess he was happily groaning in sleepy pleasure. Either that or intestinal gas! I choose the former!

Happy Sunday!

Small business Saturday

I like shopping downtown. There are a few shops that have some cute things for sale. I also like helping small shops once in awhile. Today I bought a couple of goodies for Christmas presents and got a cute tote bag. For free! Folks who know me know I love a tote bag. I use the cloth reusable bags for groceries, crafts, library trips, etc.

Got a few things at a big department store too. $4 t-shirts are a good deal.

Will get to crafting. Singing in the choir tonight and tomorrow is my final day off from this lively Thanksgiving holiday. Next week is renovation days for the bathroom. If I could blink and have it over, I'd be interested in that!

Post thanksgiving day thoughts

Forget New Years, I felt a resolution aura surround me last night. I'd been grumpy at the thought of dinner but it ended up being okay. Resolution #1- don't pre-stress.

Dinner was good except for the pie. I don't like grainy pie. But I ate too much and am getting real tired of the over full feeling. The maternal unit regularly takes leftovers home because she knows where her full button is. Resolution #2 - get a handle on this portion size stuff.

Apologies have been a big part of my vocabulary lately. I've been wicked moody and apologizing for everything, deservedly so.  Resolution #3 - stop letting tongue rule head.

Today's craft status is sort of a statement of life. I'm making rings from these little tiny skeins Blueman got me for my birthday. You can get six rings from one tiny skein and in a rainbow of colors, well, it just made sense to arrange them rainbowingly. (Resolution #4 - make up more words because it's fun)

They'll be connected with a neutral color I think.

Kind of a metaphor for life, these rings. The colors roll through the rainbow with an ebb and flow kind of feeling, much like life. They twist so easily and you spend time fixing, straightening and double checking to make sure you are still on track, much like life.  It was originally a gift that I thought might wither away in the closet because I didn't think I'd have any other idea for them, but in using them I feel like it honors Blueman. Much like I wish I would do more of in life.

Thanksgiving day

I'm thankful for the same things most are - my immediate family, my great friends, gainful employment, God given talents, etc.

I've decided to relish these days off work and really do things that make me happy and recharged.
I started a project with my knit/crochet crew and took it with me to the MRI appt that I went to with Blueman.  I think it nearly doubled in size and got my knitting juices flowing.

I'm thankful for the women who taught me crafting, crocheting, sewing, knitting, embroidery. I'm master of none of these skills but I do enjoy them all.

Do what you love and others will enjoy the beauty in that.  Happy Thanksgiving!

48 hours of tears

friday was a crazy day, busy and frustrating. I made a big mistake, caught before it was irreversible but it weighed on me. I had lunch with a friend who was told to prepare herself for the end of her mothers existence. How does one do that?

I wept on the way home about hurts, fears, revelations, just feelings that all came to a head on Friday. Saturday was better, my group of women who knit and crochet and generally lift my spirit worked their magic.

Today I was told my friends mother passed. 95.6 years of life, 42 of which were spent without her husband. I cry at the mere thought of this little woman's passing, not that we were particularly close but more because of the impact on my friend. And the realization that my own mother is not gifted with immortality either.

Fly to Heaven little Hazel. Find your other half and know that we are with your daughter.

Pretty as a postcard

At the end of a day at home doing chores, finishing the QOV and trying to blow away the stresses of the previous week, all I wanted to do was hideout at home. I still had one more thing to do and that was to stop by the hub housing the maternal unit.  It was upon leaving that I not only stopped but I paused, called out a witness request and just stood in awe for a moment. It took me a moment to even think about getting out my phone. It was so pretty in person I didn't think I'd get a good phone pic. I think I did. What do you think?

Finished quilt of valor

I love love love this quilt. Pulling it out of the box to trim and put binding on was an awesome feeling. I just finished writing my name on the label and will work to attach it as well as make the case. This has been an awesome experience. Patience, perseverence and pride were some of the lessons I relearned while working on this project.

Terri Miller did an awesome quilting job. I think that eclipses my juvenile piecing but I couldn't be more proud of the finished product. I hope the recipient feels the love and respect sewn into every corner of this quilt.

Bargain bazaar buy

I found this folded piece of fabric at a bazaar today. It's soft and dish cloth like material. I figure it has a real name but I'm not terribly educated about fabric types. I just know what I like.
I was able to walk away with this for the bargain price of $1.50. Score!

Could there be a Christmas gift in its future?  I think so!

Dumb moments

it seems as though any time I take pictures while in the car, parked of course, I get one good picture and then end up with three blurry pictures of my car.  I can be anywhere else and get a decent shot but most of my car pictures have issues.

Yesterday before choir rehearsal, I was quickly putting in earrings and chose some yellow flower studs. One side went in ok but the other side gave me fits. I finally left the back of the earring dangling in my rush vowing to pitch the earrings when I got home.
After church I removed the right one only to realize it had no back. That confirmed my decision to throw them out. Reaching for the left one I removed the wonky back and the earring wouldn't budge. Earrings tend to do that when they are attached to your ear with a back. What I'm trying to say is I had one earring with no back, one with TWO. Because apparently after 37 years of pierced ears I apparently forgot how they function.

I did manage to get a couple of good "beauty in odd places" shots.
The curve of the cactus was so pretty, how could I not take a picture!

Is fall here?

its nearing Halloween time, people are asking "Do you have plans for thanksgiving?" And of course thoughts turn to what gifts can I make for Christmas? We will be in the 90's today but when I got a craving for fall soup, I made it anyway.

Tried the first sample with cheese-something I don't usually do...and won't do again. Soup should not string when you eat it!

It starts out like chili but I like a bit of pasta in it so by day two it looks less like chili and more like goulash.

The underlying fact here is I cooked! The scales and I had a talk Saturday and we are not friends right now. Thus, cooking needs to happen more and less of the "I'll just have a sandwich" mentality.

Today I don my work armor and will attempt to complete the workday with grace and dignity.

Sunday morning reboot

there seems to be endless possibilities today.

Yesterday I started some work with tiny skeins of yarn. I'm not far into it so I can still kill it but it was fun to get creative with a three inch skein of yarn.

I sewed a little on my miscellany project. Some leftover patriotic stripes and I started putting those ugly mystery squares together. Sometimes you have to start off wrong to get to the right path.

I finally used my gift card and bought an adult coloring book and some markers. I had fun coloring last night. I'm no where near perfect but boy was I having fun choosing colors and letting go of the frustration of the previous day.

I let my mistakes get to me. I got knocked down a peg. I was condescended to (is that even proper grammatical usage?) and I let it get to me.  Forging ahead blindly (which is not my forte) can be dangerous as you can't see obstacles in time to avoid them or minimize the hit. I barged in, plowed through and was somehow surprised by the backlash. Lesson learned and I remembered that I don't take making mistakes well and struggle even more when they are pointed out by someone I don't respect.

So. Sunday morning reset.
God bless those in stitches ladies. RH you rock!

It's all Tay tay's fault

choir night. Three weeks ago I was going to quit. Stress had made the director a right bastard and quite offensive. I'm not embarrassed to say that I considered quitting, I considered telling him off, I considered finding another church just to get away and told my loved ones I was done. I am a little embarrassed to say what caused me to turn around. That darned Taylor Swift did it.  It's her fault. Haters gonna hate hate hate and I decided eventually to shake, shake, shake. Shake it off.  I realized that I was enjoying singing again. I had begun to realize (not for the first time) that I'm never going to be perfect or sing professionally and that's ok. I'm also going to sing or not but no one is going to tell me I can't. No one. This little light of mine WILL shine, dagnabbit!

Fast forward to tonight. I did well. I was the only alto and I held my own. Oh Taylor, ooh, look what you made me do!

Butterscotch drop

i finished the butterscotch drop prayer shawl from the four sweet rolls that I had gotten as a birthday gift from the maternal unit. I looked the colors but the yarn would narrow down to super thin in a random pattern and if there were a few ties that appeared in the middle of a skein which wouldn't be bad if the color was the same. No wonder they were on clearance. As pretty as they are, there will be no more sweet rolls of the yarn kind being purchased by me.

It was nice to finish after the debacle of the QOV. A lemon size ball of string had to be cut off as the edging of all my pieces frayed. One turquoise strip will have to be removed in its entirety. Sad but fixable with a lesson learned. I'll work on the fix tonight.

This was started in August with needles given from a friend and yarn given from the maternal unit. It started life as a blessing and ended up being a comfort to me last night as I finished. I hope it brings comfort to its forever home, too.

Beauty and a beast of a mess

I clean the lint trap on the dryer with each load. With furry critters and the dust that invades every crevice here, it's necessary. So a couple of days ago, this is what I found.

Instantly I thought how pretty. It was a lovely design for a sweater, I thought.  I'd apparently washed a disposable tissue. It just made me realize how you can find beauty anywhere, even in a lint trap.

The fast forward a few days and I thought I needed to wash my quilt top. I cried when it came out. One strip is disintegrated and the whole border is missing at least a quarter inch. I could barely see where I was trimming because my eyes were so wet. The dryer just buzzed so I'll see how bad the damage is now that it's dry.  More tissues are on standby.  If it's bad, I'm not sure I can bear to snap a picture.

personal status

Lots have been happening but not much of it craft wise.  Two ER visits did cause a new knitting project to get started but that mostly the last week was an experience in just getting by. Lack of sleep and worry about loved ones will flip the switch on your mood and giggles turn to tears or growls in a heartbeat. Added to this is the near breakdown of the communication between maternal unit and sibling. Things have never been perfect but it's taken a hit recently and it feels like my younger self again trying to make peace. Uber stressful.

New employment is wearing down to be less strange every day but the "newbie" moniker is starting to chafe a little. I've asked for more to do and it's a lesson in patience to wait until it's approved.

In the meantime, my mil approved of the QOV top so that was pleasing. The fabric I wanted for the back has gone MIA. You can't trust online inventories. Grrrr.

Guess I better get started on the day outside this chair.
Have a great one y'all.

How can life be bad?

When you come home after a bad day or even an okay day, dinner is ready as soon as you change your clothes and when you sit down this happens:

How can life be bad with furry little blankets like these?

Finished shawl And WIPs

This was finished Sunday but life intruded before I could get it posted.  This was started at our crochet group and only worked on there (two meetings) and one doctors appointment. Since my two other knitting projects are close to finishing, I couldn't take them to the ER yesterday so I took a new project to start. I'm rather excited about it. Lavender and a soft variegated mix. My focus in the next couple of weeks is
1. Finish starry night shawl. It will be short so the challenge will be in the finishing.
2. Finish butterscotch drop shawl. I'm guessing 4-5 hours should do it.
3. Mystery quilt step 3. Currently 1/4 done
4. Mystery quilt "surprise" step-not even started.
Long term plans include figuring out what to finish and potential Christmas giveaway.

Looks a little dull but has quite a cute pattern. Super simple to make.

Done, done, done!

the flimsy for the QOV ID done! I wrote down instructions for the next steps in the mystery quilt and started hacking poor triangles, well, poor HUGE triangles. My little old blade is about shot and that made me want to send the cutter flying! But, the QOV is done!  I also finished a prayer shawl, pics on that tomorrow.  Made progress on the blue and white knitting, too.

 The goldenrod border really finishes it, I think. It's still nearly more square than rectangle but I'm pleased. It just has to pass muster with my mil as she's the connection to the QOV people.

What fun this has been!

Progress, both kinds

Today, after church I want to come home and finish the top of the QOV. Not sure anyone at work would be interested so my show and tell addiction might not get fed, but that's okay. My poor friends have heard about it ad nauseum. Sp?  Anywho, my main knitting being at work (fill in for lunch times) I have my old standby on my lap that I'm determined to finish if only so I can reuse the needles!

I also made some purchases that I know I shouldn't but I did.

Not a great pic, but it's red whit and blue variegated. On clearance! Nice!

Remnants. Love me a remnant. The boo fabric is sparkly with gold goodness. Too cute.

My old faithful. It will be short as thus was "yarn" that someone had opened the package and removed two skeins but I had faith it would work. *sigh*. Me and my misplaced faith.

Blueman was suffering a bit yesterday. Being a bit of a hypochondriac at times, I fluctuate between my common sense and my fear when it comes to his care. We believe we know the cause of his unsettledness now and with an old friend Ben A. Dryl, he got some rest finally.  Today has family movement as sibling arrives home and maternal can return to hers. Sibling suffered health issues while gone so the next few months will not be pleasant there during recovery.

Oh, and I switched handbags yesterday so I'm thinking it will be a good week or so until I can find something by only checking two places instead of all pockets!

Only one more border to go!

lots of work completed on the QOV yesterday afternoon. It's ending up more square than rectangle which I'm not ecstatic about but I have met size requirements so anything else added is gravy! I'll add a chunky goldenrod strip after trimming edges and call it done!

Next up, mystery quilt catch up!  I'll be taking a knitted wip to work for lunch break fill in.

Number 100

Welcme to the 100th post for the second time.

Last nights post was a little mean and overly verbal.  I removed it because although I was so frustrated with the day it wasn't necessary to keep those awful thoughts. It's difficult to feel that I still am working so hard at being the best person I can be only to come up short.  No, that's a lie, I don't always try really hard but yesterday I did and I swallowed a lot of unfairness and a lot of frustration and I don't feel better for it. I have no knowledge of how to easily let go. I usually just fill in with other things until the hurt either dies from lack of energy or ages and falls away on its own.

I decided to delete it and move forward today.

How interesting that I've blathered on 100 times. One other person reads this so its not like I've got far reaching themes but sometimes, you just like to throw things out there. I read a blogger who writes once a week and I wonder if he thinks deeply and edits and spends the week in it or if he just sits down as I do and fling words out there. It sounds more like he really spends some time considering his words.

Should I do that?  Probably. But I'd rather go sew now.

Back to school

I start my new job today.
Excited- I love learning
Scared- I hate "first" times
Nervous-what if I have trouble remembering new facts?
Worried-what if my workstation is uncomfortable
Sad-I was so close to finishing the QOV
Concerned-what if my energy flags part way?
Eager-to reconnect with old friends and customers
Heart sore-I'll miss all my boys today including Blueman.

Last night was choir. i had one of those moments where I spoke and normally it would be loud enough with other voices that no one would hear. As though orchestrated, everyone had gone silent. So it was like I had a microphone. Luckily it was a good comment albeit embarrassing to be loud. Hopefully it does not recur today.

Visitors to the craft room are always welcome

Not quite where we are on QOV but close. Some modifications are being made.

Kitty love

The boys have always liked standing in me and kneading at me. Didn't matter what position I was in, they will take the opportunity to head butt me, poke at me, tap me with a well placed paw, etc.

Griffin, who just had tooth surgery on Friday has been coming back to himself after his orthodontal ordeal. He stood on my meaty thigh and kneaded my belly whilst I watched my morning dose of news. He's a lot more affectionate which is nice until the kneading goes on an excess amount of time. Then it's just annoying. I knew today that it had been awhile because when he left, there was proof he'd been there!

Wouldn't these make a cool tattoo?

The day in numbers and QOV update

I've always messed up 60" and six feet.  Years ago I replaced the front door of my mobile home and I called in the measurement. It was six feet tall exactly. So I told the gal in the office, "sixty inches!"  She gently tried to dissuade me and suggested I was wrong but I held firm. It was so easy to measure, I advised. Sixty inches perfectly even.  A man from the installation group came out to measure. Six feet, he tells me, echoing what the gal had suggested was the smallest door height. Finally I realized my mistake and figured my embarrassment caused no one but me any harm. Fast forward to yesterday when I thought I'd completed enough lines on the inner section of the QOV. Minimum height is 63". Min width is 55". Sixty three is no big deal, five and a half feet would be perfect. But then I got to sewing and my mind went to sixty three means six feet. Twenty six rows at about two inches is 50-52 inches and that's a little over four feet and I need six feet. Oh no! So I wake up this morning wondering how I could be so off that even with the three birders planned, this could have gotten so off track. Then I reconsidered not feet required but inches. Sixty three. I have at least fifty. My borders will suit me just fine! Well until my mental math starts again!

I hung it from the top dresser drawer. The last time I did this, I tore half of it apart because I saw something I did not like!

To sew or not to sew

In crocheting, when you make a mistake or change your design midway, I have heard the phrase used that you frog it. Rip it rip it "ribbit" out. I had nearly 18 or 20 rows done on the QOV and decided I hated it so I tore it apart. I have spent the last day and a half getting back on track....well the track is there but I'm not sure I'm on the right train!  I didn't want a preset pattern as I thought it would stress me out, instead doing a design as you go, it's basically strips and really, how can you go wrong? Well you can and I've managed to do it but what I'm finding is that I'm having fun. I'm enjoying this especially as it is for a worthy cause.

This week starts choir rehearsals and I've really debated about whether to start up again or not. My singing ability has decreased this last year and I've just really seriously considered enjoying the music as a bystander this year. In the end, I've decided to give it til Christmas. If by then I'm disenchanted, then I will cease.

This week also will see me sign papers for new employment. I'm nervous, excited, scared, stressed, etc. Name an emoji and it would apply!

I have six days to read three library books. I was weaning myself off but my mother shared two good ones with me. Arg!

So, really, I need to sew. It's therapy!

QOV in process.

QOV and mystery quilt update

Today was supposed to show mystery quilt process only. However, I got to messin around with the QOV strips yesterday and am pretty tickled with how the design of it came out after sewing.  If Blueman weren't taking me to a luncheon movie date, I would probably spend some time sewing today. I've made due with household chores so that when we get back, I'll walk in pleased with the little left to do.

I just love the way the strip is starting. There is nothing better than the eagerness you get from working on something you enjoy. Do I really need to clean the kitchen or can I just sew???

This is my step one and two of the mystery quilt. I'm learning so much and having fun with it. It has made me aware of what's in my stash too! I can't wait to start on step three. Thanks KevintheQuilter!

QOV part 1

I've committed to making a Quilt of Valor. Along with red, white and blues, the request included turquoise and goldenrod as these are pertinent to the recipients, Navajo code talkers. I had some (tiny) bit in my stash but I needed more so I started plotting design and color layout. I've started on the turquoise and yellow cutting.

These were stripes within a larger design that I couldn't resist chopping up!

Other strips for the six inch outer edge.

I should have gotten a close up of the fabric at the top. It's more teal than turquoise but it has goldenrod dots and white lines that look like signal lines to me or communication satellites. Too cool.

Today I'm off to the fabric store for triangles and a review of what other fabrics I can come up with.

Next post will be update of my mystery quilt progress. What was I thinking to do two?  Oh, yeah, and two knitted shawls and crochet potholders....and library books....