Fiber and Pulp

Friday Fun

Today was fairly busy for me. I'm working on two small quilts for my shop - just finished one of them and sent the pattern off to the printers for reproduction. The other one I sat down this afternoon to sew the last few blocks - I hope to get the top assembled and bordered this weekend (though I might not as I have to work on the sales floor on Saturday).

I finished knitting a new scarf for myself last night and managed to get the two buttons sewn on this afternoon. One button at the back of the neck holds the shawl collar down, the other one in the front center holds the scarf ends together. The yarn came from the Dancing Leaf Farm here in Maryland - it's a hand dyed yarn and I LOVE the colors. Such a pleasure to knit with and so pretty finished.

Notice how my digital camera matches my dress today? (grin) At least my sartorial taste is consistent, he? LOL!

I'm off now to go have fun at the annual Quilt Bingo put on by the guild here in Catonsville, Village Quilters. Cross  your fingers for me, maybe I'll win a quilt?!

:) Linda

Progress in Autumn

I've been down with a nasty cold this past week (since a week ago last Saturday). Spent five days (in sections - go in to work, find out I'm _not_ well after all, go back home) away from my store. (sigh)

The weather keeps switching from cold, gray and rainy to sunny, cool and autumnal. Last week on Thursday evening when I came home, my driveway was 'paved with gold' Ash tree leaves - it was lovely, but they were never yellow on the tree. I am guessing that our fall color will be mostly on the ground this year. :P

One good thing is that, with all my 'down time' and taking double doses of anti-inflammatory drugs, my ankle is well (um, it doesn't hurt any more and I am not wearing that boot anymore).

Now, of course, my other ankle is sore to compensate - it is just going to have to make do with a bit of extra rest and drug treatment, though. No way am I going to wear that boot again! Besides, can't drive with my _right_ foot in a boot. :P

I just got word that yet another 'old time' quilting icon passed away recently. Pat Long Gardner's funeral is tomorrow, apparently. I have long been a fan of her handkerchief quilts:

This was the book cover I could find on Amazon - it must be a new editiion 'cause my copy of this book has a different photo on it. :) This book originally came out in the early 90's and has inspired me over the years. I love old linens and things and Pat was the person who first suggested to me that they would make great focus items for small quilts. I've done many of them over the years and still enjoy her ideas.

I know that many 'young' quilters might not know of Pat's work ... and they _should_. She was a consummate recycler of old textiles, right in the modern tradition!

:) Linda

Long Week!

Thank goodness this darned boot isn't on my right foot! I can still 'drive' my sewing machine. :) I'm in a Bee with the Baltimore Modern Quilt Guild and yesterday I thought I'd better buckle down and start working on my blocks. Last night I cut pieces out from my red and white charm squares (swap:) and I'm sewing them together this afternoon. 

This particular Bee is divided into groups of six people. It is a block bee so each of us chooses a block pattern and makes one of those for each other member in the colors each member has chosen. For example, I have chosen white/cream and red as my colors - so each of the other folks are supposed to make a 12" (finished) block, of whatever design they have chosen, for me using red/white.

I like the way the Cross or Plus block looks so I thought I'd make that for folks. Of course, I have to test the size/arrangment of my block so I'm making mine, in red and white, first. You can see two pieces of my test block above (I have two more columns of pieces to add to it). The squares on my block are 1.5", finished, so I'm happy with how many Plus motifs I can get into each block. I wanted to be sure there were enough to give a nice assortment of color choices. :)

This has been a long and less-than-pleasant week for me. Starting off on Monday with the darned boot. Monday night, as I was trying to go up  my front steps around 9p.m. as I can home, my booted foot slipped and I fell, hard, into the corner of my house. :P Rolled all the way across our front sidewalk and into the flower bed under our Japanese maple tree.

Luckily, I didn't break anything (well, I am pretty sure I didn't - no swellings or lasting pains) but I sure am bruised and battered up. :P I spent Tuesday and Wednesday at home, taking it easy with my foot up. I can always tell when I am _really_ under the weather - sitting around doing nothing much (reading, napping) feels fine and I don't get antsy. :P

Thursday I went back to work at my store - was a long day and I had to spend most of it sitting down working at the computer (updating our website, making blog and Facebook posts, etc). Today I had a private student to tutor and went out for a haircut ... and I'm feeling a bit less achy.

I have to work on the sales floor on both Saturday and Sunday. Wish me strength - I might have to stay 'down' on Monday to recover. :P

Linda

First Color!

This morning I had a doctor's appointment in Clarksville (to the west) and, driving there, I saw the FIRST FALL COLOR in the tops of the street trees. :) Red and orange maples of some kind were planted along the neighborhood streets between the Interstate and Rte 108 where the doctor's offices are. So pretty! It was sunny out there but by the time I got to Catonsville, it had clouded over and was spitting cold fall rain. :P

The doctor I went to see is a foot specialist. My left ankle has been hurting pretty badly for about three weeks ... and the doctor told me I have 'acute achilles tendonitis'. (sigh) I _thought_ it might be Tarsal Tunnel which I have had for years (the foot equivalent of Carpal Tunnel in your wrists), for which I wear shoe lifts. I also thought he'd likely give me a cortisone shot for the inflammation.

Thankfully, no shot ... it's not the usual complaint. However, now I'm BOOTED for the next four to six weeks:

Isn't this thing just charming (NOT!)? :P It is essentially a walking cast that immobilizes my ankle so it cannot flex - that lets the tendon be still and heal. I hope it heals fast (but my history with various areas of tendonitis is not too great - takes quite a while to heal).

I've been fiddling with what should have been a simple design for my shop. In November, as part of the Quilter's Quest, we will be selling shop pins (those lovely enameled pins that quilters collect). I thought it would be good to have a pattern/kit for a pin holder quilt so I've been working on making a sample. 

Today I finished the last block for a sample that has 5" blocks ... and decided (with some prompting from Alice I. and Robbyn) that it is too large. (sigh) So, back to my rulers and rotary cutting to make smaller ones. Here is a line up of the three sizes I've made (all in purple fabric - I'm doing a full rainbow):

The center block has  a pin on it for size reference (the pin is about 1" across). I like the tiny spool block best, but I'm going to go with the middle sized one (a 3" square) as you can get at least two pins on one spool. Aiming for a 25 block hanging - at about 18" square, it should be cute (fingers crossed)!

I have many other things I would rather be working on, so I'm going to spend a few minutes figuring out how to make these babies with strip piecing and strata subcutting instead of block-by-block. :)

Linda