What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

I'm back!!! I finally had a proper sleep within the right time frame, meaning I got to sew this morning. Does it feel strange? It's totally weird! Let's hope that things are back on track because I have lots that I want to do. 

I hope not to offend anyone with this next sentence, so forgive me if I do. WAIT -- before I say that, let's say this has happened to all of us! Most of us anyway! But hopefully, after the first time, it will never happen again. 

That is the text message (or e-mail ...

Let's give scrap baskets a double meaning! Made from scraps, especially thread scraps, this basket is also a good place to throw them! It's about 4.5" high and 3.5" across. I used silk, so it's extra fancy, but you can use any fabric and threads you like. 

Contents include:

-- An old freemotion quilting practice sandwich, 

--  Long scrap fabric strips, as background,

-- Ravelled threads on top. Most are threads ...

BEFORE: In my last blog post, I showed this potential valentine, which my friend Jane pointed out, looks more like the Valentine's Day Massacre. 

I certainly couldn't give this to anyone I don't wish to maim. But then it occurred to me that my daughter's cat, Cleocatra, routinely combines love with blood. She doesn't allow claw-clipping, so when she plays with us, scratches can ensue. She's also an unrepentant lizard-tormentor and sewing-machine occupier.

AFTER: So I turned my violent background into this! The perfect Valentine for my daughter!

This technique has been around a ...

 I was minding my own business, making a whole lot of improv triangle kaleidoscopes, like this.

I'm only using solids for this quilt. The smallest scraps were filling my "toss" bin.

But then the Create Whimsy newsletter arrived in my email. Lynn Woll, its curator extraordinare, had an article titled "Scrap Happy Confetti Quilts," with  Valentine's Day projects. Oooooo! It looked like so much fun...and I knew I had loads of fresh scraps. 

I plucked the solids from my "discard" bin and sent them into plastic bags, organized by color. 

Then I cut out a 4" square ...

Despite many moves over the years I have held onto a three inch pile of postcards from art museums around the world. Some I bought and some were sent to me by an early art mentor. Finally, after rediscovering the collection for the umpteenth time, I decided to use them.

Given that the subjects ranged from Byzantine icons to modern art, I decided to detach figures from their settings and recombine them with other papers to create unexpected narratives. I pasted them all in a children’s board book, where I look at them more often now.

Front and back ...

I have yet to go outside, but could we be snowed in? We had a lot of snow yesterday, but the retreat house is also on a hill, and the snow was blowing, so hopefully, it blew away from the yard and not into it! 

We'll be out for our walk once it gets light, and then we'll see. This region is on the ball for road maintenance, so that won't be a problem, but we have to get from the house to the road. And if we don't get out for our walk until later ...

 It's amazing how energized you are in the morning when you have a good night's sleep. If only we could bottle that. The previous night, I had a terrible time getting to sleep - last night, no issue. Now, why is that? 

Well, it doesn't matter - you take the good with the bad and move on! 

I like where we live. I like our neighborhood and our house, and even though the weather can be wild, I don't have to go to sleep with these thoughts on my mind. 

BC fires at night

This is a photo ...

Nope - I'm not retiring. Besides, what would I do when I retire - sew more? I'd probably sew less! Nope - I'm not quite ready, but the day will come, but not yet. 

Katheleen retired this week. There's been a countdown for the last couple of months, and now she can do whatever she wants every day!!! A couple of us went and had a mini celebration. It was great to visit in person. 

A while back, Katheleen had mentioned that I still owed her a postcard from an exchange that took place YEARS ago. Yikes - that item ...

I've ordered some Save the Post Office Cinderella stamps from The Perforated Post!  Aren't they cool!  Perforated and gummed like real stamps.  :) Can't wait for them to arrive.  

It was another silly day. However, I'm happy to report that the computer work got done and the quilt is now on its way to Colorado. I had to make the binding and sew it on back and front. One hour! I'm getting good at binding by machine.

I've got a few more things that need to be tidied up today and I do want to do some prepping for the next community projects day. And I've been neglecting e-mail. So if I owe you an e-mail, it's not because I didn't get it ...

It was a totally crazy day. Not chaotic crazy, just lots to do in a very controlled way. The girls are LOVING the virtual challenge. They get to walk for miles every day. It doesn't mean they are better at walking on the leash (OK - maybe just a wee bit better), but they love being outside. So do I. Fresh air - every day for a couple of hours. No wonder I'm sleeping like a log. Just wait until summer - you'll never get me to stay inside.

We were off to the library and the grocery store which ...