Weekending

February 23, 2026 Vicki5 Comments

I had Friday afternoon off & the house to myself. I was a happy quilter & got all my homework done. I posted on FB & IG, but will refrain here until Wednesday when I’ll have at least one more to share.

I’m not entirely sure what I did on Saturday, but I enjoyed being home & putzing around my house. I got the cleaning bug on Sunday, starting in the bathroom, and continuing in the front room. I also took a nap (both days). And made dinner (both days). I even got a head start on tonight’s dinner by cooking the chicken that I’ll need! Who am I?

A black bookshelf filled with various items including books, photographs in frames, decorative vases, and small figurines. There are also some art pieces and decorative boxes. The backdrop features a light green wall and a wooden floor with a patterned rug.

This arrangement of three bookshelves is in our front room. They used to be in my Little Working Museum, but had to be moved when we decided to re-install the French doors. They’re a little bit of a catch-all & hold everything from family photos & handiwork, to collections of oil lamps & buttons, cremains of Mickey (our beagle) in a Mason jar wrapped with her leash & Naomi (Sharon’s Siamese cat) in a beautiful urn that Sharon made, all the jigsaw puzzles that a Japanese company once made from some of Rusty’s paintings… lots of little gee-gaws.

The new me that’s emerged over the past few months decided that it’s enough to tackle one of those three units at any given time (when the spirit moves).

A wooden bookshelf filled with various books, framed photos, and decorative items. The shelves contain a mix of literature and art books, alongside several family pictures and small ornaments.

A black bookshelf filled with various books and multiple framed photographs of people, including family portraits and personal memories, alongside decorative items.

Before on the left, after on the right. I mean, it’s still a lot, but I culled a big stack of mostly knitting books, and a few other things. I went through that cardboard file box for about the third or fourth time & recycled a lot of old printed knitting patterns — some of which I made & won’t make again, some of which I know I’ll never make — all of which could probably be relocated elsewhere now, and probably will be. A few years ago, there were three or four of those boxes, so progress. There’s some room on the next set of shelves, now, and it’ll all get arranged with a bit more breathing room in the end — look a little more intentional (even curated? haha).

Close-up of a decorative ceramic plate with a lace-like pattern in shades of brown and red.

Everything got a much-needed (to say the least) dusting. Those turned wood pieces made by my dad sit on the top & are obviously never disturbed! There’s a wood airplane on the middle shelf in the before picture, which I’ve put elsewhere for now, but there’s a little peg-man pilot that fits into a little hole… he’s been missing for a while (the kids… well, just Davy these days) play with that from time to time. It’s not really a toy, but tell that to a kid. It used to be my mom’s, and my kids played with it, too. Landing gear & wings have all been repaired at various times. Anyway, I found the pilot hidden behind some stuff!

Speaking of Dave…

A portrait of a smiling boy in black and white, featuring a bowl haircut and wearing a shirt with a tie, set against a blurred natural background.

This adorable set of photos was suggested to me by FB or Google the other day. That’s obviously an adorable & impish Davy on the bottom, and one of my grandmother’s brothers on the top, ca 1920 or so — Davy’s 3rd great uncle!

Eye Candy Friday

February 20, 2026February 19, 2026 Vicki7 Comments

I lost a day this week to hotels, airports, and planes — high winds in the west affected flights in/out of both Albuquerque & Denver. Luckily, though after quite a delay, I was able to make it to Denver on Tuesday, as planned. The delay meant a missed connection, though, and the new itinerary sent me to Chicago for a few hours instead of directly home. Thankfully, the airline put me up in a hotel on Tuesday & gave me a couple of meal vouchers (of which I only used one).

Anyway, all that to say… I’m behind!!

Three colorful triangular fabric pieces with various patterns, including floral designs and geometric shapes, displayed on a white background.

Here’s a little eye candy until I catch up a bit! Our Airbnb in ABQ was just a few blocks from both the Albuquerque Museum & Old Town. On one of the days, we stopped into a cute shop called Desert Bird Mercantile. Kate had wandered a little ahead of me & I heard her call out, “Mom. There’s fabric over here.” Oh my, was there. I was extremely restrained in walking away with only three fat quarters — one more than I originally had in my hand. These are just a few of the many designs/colorways by owner/artist Tammy Wenderlich. Aren’t they spectacular? I’m hoping they’ll work with what I’ve got going in the sampler quilt, but I’m not sure I’ll really need them and who cares, anyway? They’re so pretty!

Quilting · Unraveled Wednesday / Knit & Read

Unraveled Wednesday

February 11, 2026 Vicki7 Comments

I’m joining Kat & the Unravelers for Unraveled Wednesday!

KNITTING:

I sat down to watch the Olympics and something was missing… KNITTING! I dipped into the yarn cupboard, looking either for a couple of skeins that would play nicely together for a Hitchhiker or for something that could be a Sophie scarf.

I came up with selections for both, but Sophie won… mainly because it’ll travel better. I can’t capture how luminous this yarn is in photos! It’s richer & brighter & just beautiful — Pashm, 80/10/10 superwash merino/cashmere/nylon, from Wisconsin’s Ewetopia Fiber Shop, in the “Tapestry” colorway. I likely purchased it at Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival, which I haven’t been to in a few years, so I’m happy to be using it!

I would be much further along — I was much further along — and then realized that I was making the increases in the wrong place and likely counting wrong (even with the loopy yarn row counter… maybe if I put that in a different place? I’m hoping that I’ll eventually catch on.). Anyway, it’s fun. I finished the other Sophie-esque scarf that I was knitting and, oh boy, is it ever scratchy. I didn’t choose wisely for that one & don’t know if it’ll improve with soaking & blocking.

Can you believe that the first Knitting Olympics were held 20 years ago? Did you participate?

A woman smiling while wearing a cozy knitted cardigan with a cable pattern and colorful accents, standing indoors next to plants.

I was on the USA Cable Team and earned a gold medal for Williamsro !

QUILTING:

I sewed together my sixth quilt block at class last night and, as I’ve been doing every week, sent a photo to the family chat… or thought I did!

I was thinking, “What’s invisible, Alison?? What new method, Kate?? Is there something wrong with my quilt block??” I was also busy, so obviously not thinking too hard! Then, a couple of hours later, Ali made a comment about one of the fabrics & I realized that the photo hadn’t gone through. haha.

A colorful quilt patch featuring a variety of vibrant patterns, including swirls, polka dots, and floral designs.

Anyway, this is Friendship Star. I then chose & cut the pieces for a Sawtooth Star. I have double homework, since I won’t be back from ABQ in time next week, so sometime in the next two weeks, I’ll be working on Patchwork Chain, Ohio Star, and Log Cabin blocks — choosing & cutting fabrics, at least, if not sewing. There will only be two more blocks left to make, then, and only four more weeks of class after next week, so I imagine we’ll be moving on to putting it all together — layout, sashing, batting, backing, quilting & binding.

READING:

Same/continuing (bedtime pages): No Time on My Hands by Grace Snyder.

TOO GOOD NOT TO IMMEDIATELY SHARE

Art display featuring paper portraits of children on green columns, with one central portrait labelled 'Virginia' wearing a laurel wreath.

Say hello to Ginny The Greek. Her class made self-portrait Greek statues!!! I can’t get over it.

Citius, Altius, Fortius — Communiter, or Faster, Higher, Stronger — Together.

Have a wonderful day.

Quilting · Weekending

Weekending

February 9, 2026 Vicki6 Comments

I didn’t venture far from the house over the weekend — to the grocery store on Saturday afternoon, and to a local bar & grill to pick up some wings during the second quarter of the football game yesterday (I had a hankering!). There was a lot of laundry to do, fold & put away on Sunday. And we watched some of the Olympics — mostly the figure skating team competition. And putzed. As we do.

I worked on my quilting class homework on Saturday. I was to make the “Economy” block, start-to-finish, and then choose fabrics & cut the pieces for the “Friendship Star.”

A patchwork quilt square featuring four colorful diamond shapes surrounded by blue fabric with white polka dots and a center design of multicolored circles.

A colorful quilt block featuring four sections, each with patterned fabrics including polka dots and circles in various colors.

Just for grins, I played around with different arrangements of the half-square triangles to see what it would look like. I love this play on circles & squares & triangles & dots & diamonds & grids & I thought of Josef Albers more than once. As it says on my Ravelry profile, IDEAS WILL EMERGE! haha.

A colorful quilt block featuring four diamond-shaped patterns, each surrounded by polka dot borders and filled with various circular designs in vibrant colors.

This is how the block is actually put together & sewn up. I’m excited to make the star block tomorrow night… and also get extra homework because I’ll miss next week’s class.

I’m flying down to Albuquerque on Friday to meet Kate (& Kai) for a long weekend. We’ll be getting together with my cousins on Sunday morning, have a dinner reservation on Sunday night, and we’re winging it other than that! There are a half-dozen or so places to consider on our “to visit” list & we’ll just see what happens.

It’s been almost 15 years since I saw my cousin, Missy, and even longer since I’ve seen her sister, Mel — it had to have been at their brother’s wedding, and that was in 1998!! We’ll have fun catching up.

I hope you had a great weekend! I’ll be back on Wednesday with… don’t faint… KNITTING!!

Quilting · Unraveled Wednesday / Knit & Read

Unraveled Wednesday: QB3 & 4

February 4, 2026 Vicki7 Comments

I’m joining Kat & the Unravelers for Unraveled Wednesday!

KNITTING:

Nothing new here.

QUILTING:

I made my sewed together my third & fourth quilt blocks last night which were previewed the other day!

Colorful patchwork quilt featuring spirals and polka dots in shades of pink, purple, orange, and white.

Here’s how that Disappearing Nine Patch sliced up & got rearranged.

A colorful quilt square featuring a central floral motif surrounded by various patterned fabrics, including polka dots and zigzags in vibrant colors.

And the Squared In pansy block.

The day I can both cut and sew in a straight line will be one worth celebrating. haha.

A vibrant quilt featuring four colorful patchwork squares, each with distinct patterns including swirls, polka dots, and floral designs.

Here are the four blocks that I’ve completed so far! They won’t be arranged like this & they won’t be all jammed up together in the end, but it really helps to see them all together so I can make fabric/pattern choices for the next one or two or three. I have homework!!

READING:

Continuing (bedtime pages): No Time on My Hands by Grace Snyder.

George Saunders’ Vigil on audio. I have one more chapter… and then I might start all over again!

It’s been a weird week, y’all. I ended up going to work yesterday morning because of a domain expiration due to a credit card expiration and because of such, we were getting no email. So, I ended up going to work on all three of the days I would normally have had off last weekend! Oh well. On top that that, Rusty returned from a long (work) weekend in Todos Santos & his flight didn’t arrive until 11p — last night! So, after quilt class, I drove down to Milwaukee, arriving at 9p, and snoozed in my car for a couple of hours — well, an hour, maybe — after I caught up on all my Crossplay games & messages. I must have actually fallen asleep, though, because my alarm woke me up! And I didn’t have to work ALL day yesterday, so I was able to get in a little nap in the afternoon, too.