M’girl has arrived! Maddy was sitting at the kitchen table when I got home last night. We all had a fun evening together — chatting, playing cards, catching up, and laughing our heads off. Merriment will continue tonight when Ali & the kiddos come over!
I’ve been seeing more squirrels & chipmunks running around, and also this…
…in the yard a couple of times, on a little perch/ledge just below the garden bed at the edge of the ravine. I thought maybe there was a burrow there, but I’m not so sure… at least yet. After rummaging around the yard & sitting on the perch, they take off down the hillside (amazingly fast) — through the little stick structure that my kids/grandkids constructed down there almost a decade ago — to who-knows-where?
Don’t forget to “spring forward”! I still have a few clocks that I need to physically change — a couple of alarm clocks & the wall clock in the kitchen most importantly.
Start to Finish: February 6-ish to February 27, 2026
And, as promised, I’ve also resumed kitting on my Farfalle Cardigan… it took me a minute to figure out what my notes, scratches & numbers meant, but I’m back on track (and those notes will be helpful going forward). I’m just about to begin the third repeat on the first sleeve, so it’s slow going but, hey, I’m not in a race with anyone (it’ll be nice to have a finished sleeve though)!
QUILTING:
Oh man…
I had to do some laundry at Ann’s the other day. I took all my quilting stuff so I could lay it out on that large, unobstructed expanse of floor she has over there. On the left, 12 finished quilt blocks, per the pattern. On the right, 13 finished quilt blocks + some ideas for combos for the others I’ll need to make it big… really big! I want it to not only cover my bed, but have a good drop, so I’m probably going to do a double border & I’m considering doubling or even tripling the sashing, too. It’ll take a lot of playing around to figure it out.
But, first, I need to finish all these blocks. I’ve lost count, but these were finished yesterday/last night.
The one on the left is one of my new favorites… which makes up for the one on the right, which is my new least favorite. It’s been suggested that the last favorite block be positioned in the lower left corner — mostly in terms of a wall hanging, I’m guessing — but that would be my side of the bed… so whichever one is in least favor when it comes time to put it all together, it’ll go on the lower right. heh.
I spent some time the other day trimming all of the half square triangle blocks that I made using the cut off parts from previous blocks.
It was tedious, but very satisfying, and…
…this will likely vie for “favorite” status. I sewed it all together last night, but I’ll need to border it somehow so it’s big enough.
I’m so close to finishing my Sophie scarf — I can’t wait to show you, but if you’ve seen Kym’s latest, you already know what it looks like! In some weird coincidence, we were both knitting the SAME SCARF in the SAME YARN and the SAME COLORWAY at the SAME TIME!
Blinders are on in terms of other/new projects, as I really want to get back to the Farfalle cardigan.
QUILTING:
Sawtooth Star & Patchwork Chain
Ohio Star & Log Cabin
I can’t tell you how many Log Cabin motifs I’ve embroidered or knit over the years, but I can tell you that this is the first one I’ve ever sewn! I’ve been enamored with quilt designs/patterns for years, and I really am delighted to finally be doing this.
There are only two blocks left to make: Postage Stamp & Chevron. I’ve already chosen my fabrics & would like to get them sewn up over the weekend… because now comes the hard part!
Choosing fabric(s) for sashing, border, backing & binding. We started auditioning last night. The sashing will be a “frame” around each square, and a contrasting (or not) square at each intersection.
But I’m also considering adding to this — duplicating a few of these blocks or adding new ones — in order to make this a usable bed-sized quilt. Y’know, because the one currently on our bed isn’t bright enough?
BUT, ALSO, HAVE YOU HEARD?? (Yes, I’m shouting!) George Saunders has announced that Lincoln in the Bardo is going to be made into a movie & an opera! OMG. I am dying. If that’s not enough, Tom Hanks is one of the producers and is going to play Abraham Lincoln in the movie! And while I can appreciate opera, I would not say that I’m a fan… but, boy, I sure am interested in this one! Hm. Maybe there’s a birthday trip to NYC & my first visit to The Metropolitan Opera in the cards this year.
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?
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).
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).
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…
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!
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!!
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!
