Quilting with Patience.

I am just finishing the quilt that is on my frame.  If I were to be asked what the most important skill to learn when quilting, my answer would be 'patience'.  It is a common human trait to want to rush everything.  We learn short cut tricks to making multiple half square triangles, if a ruler offers a quicker way to make a block, we buy it. I could understand this rush if we were doing something we hated but we love quilting.  If not, we would be doing something else like that pile of dishes that is growing in the sink.

I was reminded of this when I had to stop and refill a bobbin for the long arm.  I had changed the bobbin thread and couldn't remember how to reinstall it so I looked it up in the manual.  I filled a couple of bobbins, put one in the holder and started to sew.  I didn't get more than a couple of stitches when the machine jammed.  I checked the bobbin and it was loose.  Reinstalled and it was still loose and in fact it would turn on the shaft. Double checked with the manual to ensure the release thingy was in the correct direction.  Then I checked to make sure the bobbin was in the holder correctly, which it was.  I have a hard time seeing the bobbin area on my machine as I am tall so I moved it off the quilt and sat on a chair so I could see what I was doing.  I put the bobbin and case back on the shaft but the result was the same. Then I took another look at the holder.  It was from my domestic machine.  Locate the correct one, install and start sewing.

I am glad I remained calm through out the process.  There was one time in my life where I would have thrown something (probably the bobbin case) and then spent the rest of the day trying to find where it went.  I am sure my husband appreciates the new me as well.

Blessings, 

Another Foul?

 I am disappointed with the new ruler I bought.  Perhaps if I had got a bigger one, it would have been more useful.  I have written the company letting them know how I felt but haven't yet heard back.

The temperatures are cool here but the sun is shining.  It was very windy this morning and I thought the clothes would dry on the line before I got out the next load.  They didn't but they are certainly going to get a good airing.

I think I have mentioned before that hubby and I are fans of the Blue Jay baseball team.  We watch every game that is broadcast.  I recently learned a couple of rules that were new to me.  If the ball bounces off the back wall, the batter automatically gets a two base run.  I guess they could then go further if the throw to another player missed.  I think baseball is one of the easiest game to follow.  You don't really need to know anything about the game to understand the batter can run if a hit ball is fair, three strikes and you are out etc.  I wish there was a limit to the number of fouls.  Sometimes, the batter  just keeps hitting them.  It isn't intentional but it gets a bit annoying to have an inning drag on as ball after ball flies the wrong way.

Having said all that, there is a game this afternoon so I have to get my housework done early because we will be watching.

Anyone else a baseball fan?

blessings,

A New Ruler

 I am having a difficult week.  I may have been exposed to COVID on Monday and am still in the wait and see stage.  I do have a headache and feel nauseous but, by themselves, they aren't a symptom.

Then a very dear friend died.  It was neither unexpected or sudden but still very difficult.  I don't think I have fully grasped it yet.  The gentleman was like an adopted father to me and was just a very special person.

I missed sending in my newspaper column because I lost track of the days after not sleeping properly for a couple of nights.

On the plus side, after we voted today, we picked up the mail and the ruler I ordered was in.  I will do some practice work with that later on today when/if my head gets back to normal.

Sorry this is not a upbeat post.  I will try to do better tomorrow and perhaps have some photos of my ruler samples.  The instructions that came with it aren't very clear so I will have to look at the video

Blessings,

Meet Hector

 My first hedgehog is done.  This is my practice one and I can see I need to be a bit more careful with the piecing of the strips. I also think a lighter fabric for the spines would work better although I do want them colourful.  I really like the block and am looking forward to making them as well as putting them together for the quilt.  I think I am going to add sashing between the blocks so the quilt will be a bit bigger.

Hubby thinks he looks like a fox.  I just think Hector Hedgehog is really cute.

I finished getting my garden planted yesterday.  The tomatoes were getting a bit leggy so I buried them as deep as possible.  We had a nice rain last night and today so that should help them get established. I would urge everyone to plant as much of a garden as they can this year.  Even a pot or two on a balcony will help the grocery bill.  Everyone I talk to believes that not only will the food prices going to continue to rise but we will also have shortages.  I have talked to my husband to buy extra chicken feed and store it for the winter.  If things improve, we can still use the feed.

Blessings,

OOPS!

 I have been working on my hedgehog quilt and really like how it is looking.  However, despite how careful and organized I have been trying to be, I made a big mistake.  The fabric I cut was for background, face of hedgehog, legs of hedgehog plus eyes, nose and spines.  I even labeled most of the pieces with the sizes and, the last two fabrics,  the section designation i.e. 's', 'r' etc.

All that done and it was time to piece.  Everything was going fine and I got to the place where I was getting ready to add the legs and realized I had been using the background fabric for the faces.  I can find something else for the background but don't you think that after I was being so careful that the quilting fairies would have been on my side.

Oh, well.  Life.

Blessings

Hedgehog Eyes

 Aaand, I'm back.  Last week was very difficult.  A very dear older friend  was taken to the hospital and we thought he was in his last days.  Fortunately, he recovered but needs to go into long term care.  His family is trying to get him into a facility in the Muskoka's so he will be closer to them.  I plan on visiting him as well once he is settled.  He is a dear soul and will be greatly missed when his time comes.

On Thursday, hubby and I went to Orillia to see his mother who is also in a care facility.  I have mentioned before about how we feel about the level of care she receives.  Another example  happened while we were there.  Mom has been having severe abdominal pains and, despite two scans, nothing was discovered.  She was in great discomfort and didn't want to have anything to eat. Because she isn't able to wear her false teeth, all her food is pureed or liquid.  Lunch consisted of chocolate milk and juice.  As I said, she didn't want either even when hubby offered to hold the glass.  I asked if a straw might help and a staff person gave her one.  She immediately drank all her chocolate milk.  Why wouldn't a straw be provided to a toothless senior! It isn't a major thing but did make a difference to whether she was going to get any nourishment or not.

I have spent most of today making hedgehog eyes.  I am following the instructions exactly in making this quilt as I haven't done one like it before. (Usually, I look at the pictures and put the pieces together my way.)  Fabric was all cut out and labelled and now I am following the directions step by step..  I am really looking forward to seeing how the quilt turns out.

Blessings,

He's a Keeper

 

I thought I had a good idea this morning but it turned out to be otherwise.  It has been to0 hot in the afternoon when I usually go for my walk so I thought morning would be a better time.  The temperature was certainly a lot better but that was offset by hundreds of blackflies.  I hadn’t worn my net hat so had to drape my sweater over my head and move as fast as I could.  I will stay indoors for the rest of the day.

My hubby did the sweetest thing yesterday.  I haven’t been getting a good nights sleep for a while due to something that is causing extreme itchiness.  The location moves around and there isn’t any visible cause but, hoo boy, does it itch.  Nothing seems to help.  Yesterday morning after our devotions, I fell asleep on the couch for over an hour.  When I woke up, hubby brought me a cup of tea and one of the gluten free blueberry muffins I had bought.  It was such a lovely, thoughtful gesture. I think I will keep him.

I am assembling fabric for a hedgehog baby quilt.  As you no doubt know, I love hedgehogs and when I saw this pattern in a quilt store, I bought it.  (I always buy patterns but rarely make them.  Do you do that?)  I can’t wait to see how it turns out.  I am also working on a scrappy and a charity quilt that is on the frame.  I always seem to prefer doing a bunch of projects at the same time.  I think I would get really bored if I stuck to doing one at a time.  Of course, I would probably get more quilts to the finished stage but what fun is that?!

Blessings,

This isn't a very good photo as I took it with my pc camera but it, hopefully, gives you an idea of what the hedgehogs will look like.