spring marches on!

ultra-quiet Easter for me....day spent quilting, fixing dinner, bit of laundry, watching library videos...here's one i can highly recommend:

based on true story about Hans von Meegeren, a player in fine art thievery during WW2...PBS had aired a special called, "Plunderer:  The Last Nazi Art Thief," another true story centered around Bruno Lohse...it is appalling how many museums own and display works with dodgy provenance and their shameless business dealings with people like Lohse.  

quilting on the DWR continues with seemingly endless finish in sight...

more wensleydale blocks....i am really liking how these are turning out....the sewing area is a hot mess...piles of fabrics, tiny scraps, paper pieces everywhere...but nobody ever said creativity had to be neat....

on my computer i have a folder full of beach photos and i've used them as inspiration....i so miss being near the ocean no matter the season....

monday another chilly day...the sun is warm but the wind is still icy...not complaining at all...too soon it'll be endless sweltering days....

have a blessed day!

He is risen!

 

wishing you a blessed Easter filled with all good things---faith, family, fun and last but not least, yummy chocolate eggs...LOL

chookshed challenge

the number drawn was 10 but since i have been a flunky most of the year, i chose to start my "wensleydale" project.  i doubt all 60 blocks will be finished this month but hoping a serious dent.  here are the latest ones.  

i am really like these blocks.  they do take a serious amount of fabric tho, and while i have a healthy stack pulled, might have to "shop" for more.  

God is good indeed....a new vacuum cleaner appeared at the apartment recently...now to take the old one apart and send it down the trash chute.  anything that can fit in a trash bag goes that way.  the new is cordless (no tripping), lighter and powerful enough for all those threads.  feeling very blessed indeed!

Back to early summer for a couple of days before rainy Easter....no plans so doesn't matter to me.  

finally, the late Tony Campolo wrote a book, "It's Friday but Sunday's Coming," meaning the darkness of Good Friday turned joyous on Resurrection Sunday...but it can apply to any dark day you might experience...Sunday is always ahead!  

quick april update!

hot couple of days so yes, it does feel spring indeed....no plans here except ??  if it stays dry might scoot around a bit just for fresh air...nice to have it bright in the mornings and late afternoon...

forging ahead on "wensleydale"....definitely not a fast project but actually eager to continue....3 blocks are done, biggie pile of fabrics threatens to overtake the studio area but variety is a must for this project.

so far so good but again, making an awful mess....

and the first photo of this was nagging at me to swap out the block that was too dark....so i did...

ok now it's done....will get it basted and add to the quilting pile...

back to the memory lab yesterday and digitized 3 more of my dad's 8mm reels....aside from a bit of landscape--dad loved the woods and always filmed trees, lakes etc--some funny bits....for a while they had a pony/small horse and one film showed various family members taking a turn on her including mom!  another bit showed my ex driving a motorcycle with my 4 yo along....so cute!  i've 1 more reel plus some negatives and slides i'll do next....this is such a great library benefit saving us a small fortune.  my dad would be thrilled to know his films that are 40-50 years old are still viable.  he always said we'd be glad someday and he was right.  

off to make the day's list and tackle...wishing you a delightful april fool's day...no foolin'!

color me happy!

a cold spring weekend inside mostly gave me impetus to fire up miss sunny to get re-acquainted and play in the stash....plus my library book needs to go back so it was time to sew.  pulled out some solids scraps about 10" or so and cut stacks....in no time at all this was ready for its closeup...

actually found it fun to whip these up and get it to a flimsy plus wipe out some scraps.  the hardest part is always the layout...i must have moved them around 5-6 times and finally quit.  very modern looking i think....would be easy enough to make more....do enjoy working with solids.   camera blocked out upper right but not in daylight...

with the chookshed challenge coming up again this week, pulled out the wensleydale foundation papers and got one block done.

the color palette is taken from the ocean....blues, greens, grays....only 59 blocks to go.  they are a bit fussy as paper piecing always is, but no rush and it does generate quite a mess of bits and bobs.  liking this first attempt and urged to continue.  a significant amount of stash should be busted by the finish...

our see-saw weather continues.....very warm during last week and chilly again over the weekend.  it was 61 today but the wind was icy as i scooted out for an errand.  our library has a memory lab where one can take VHS tapes, negatives, slides, 8mm reels and digitize them.  from mom's apartment i found 2 rolls of film never developed, 2 boxes of slides, some negatives and a bag filled with 8mm rolls my dad had taken.  delighted now that i'll be able to get these on USB for my siblings before they are lost.  

family holiday dinners in the past, will be focusing on the solemnity and rejoicing of Easter, but glad there are memories of them.  like Christmas, the real reason is the most important.  hope your week is full of spring's renewal and enjoyment!  

monday report

look who's back!  

saturday after house chores done, pulled this from its waiting space and actually did some quilting!  color me happy indeed.  it's been two months since last stitch on this project and delighted back on track.  as eye not quite 100% have to limit quilting time, but no matter....couple of hours feels pretty good.  

we enjoyed a thoroughly spring weekend, ideal for some much needed cleaning etc.  getting back into routine groove is a great stress reliever.  dear daughter and i went to trader joe's, haven't been there for a long time.  they do actually have some products that fit in my low sodium diet...which will give some variety to my tried-and-true recipes.  

just as i was finishing up vacuuming living room, the vacuum breathed its last.  some creative budgeting will be needed to get it replaced.  without a car, problematic trying to get it repaired--issue for another day.  for now, enjoying settling in to life before this  most recent detour...praying the last going forward.

and plan for monday???

have a blessed day!

improved!

not quite gone but now-viral eye infection is better, drops schedule modified and voila!  i could even manage a bit of machine time this week!

after the steroid drops, i get about an hour of focused bilateral vision....i used the time to sew up the last remaining kaffe tumblers into a future potholder and a scrappy project to use up some reproduction scraps...an endless task as we all know.  reading and hand sewing still waiting more improvement, which may come in the next week or so.  

for national quilting day planning to baste an autumn runner UFO and get it quilted and finished!  way beyond time to cross something off the UFO list.  

see-saw weather here continues like it does in many places...sunny but cold today and warming, then cold again the weather talking heads say....can't go on much longer with april around the corner.

much needed apartment tidy is the hope for the weekend.  some laundry, cooking and some scooter time.  saw this on instagram and sums it up perfectly!

life is indeed good and getting better!

getting ready.....

went to the library today to return all the books that i couldn't presently read and picked up this one...fingers starting to itch!  the eye?

new doc equals some actual hope and glimmer of light ahead in this tunnel....ego and condescending platitudes gone replaced with real info and realistic prognosis. well worth trek to baltimore.  bacterial infection gone, viral has moved in....new antibiotics started and steroid to reduce swelling, hoping scarring will heal on its own.  if not, further treatment ahead.  since starting with UMD have gotten really good care that has improved health.  unfortunately, my daughter is chained to a health plan and is basically ignored by her providers...breaks my heart to no end.  if only she could switch.  

made a list of all that needs doing when both eyes back on the job.  despite all the detours and mis-steps, feel quite blessed for the many blessings in my life each day.  

not quite yet...

eye saga continues....turns out the "mycin" type of drops i'd been using around the clock were incompatible with my cardiac situation....allergic type response that caused lots of symptoms  finally culminating in event....quick ER visit....new savvy eye doc without the ego of the last....another specialist appointment upcoming....infection not gone but percolating with scarring present that may prevent complete restoration of vision....prayers ongoing by many to the Great Physician...met many internationals via lyft drivers at great expense i might add....two even drove teslas!  thankfully winter seems to have left the building and even a bit of sun now and then.  were it not for my faith keeping me going, would have caved long ago...dreaming of sewing projects and finishing my basted things, soon i hope.  

sewing soon???

could very well be....today the first day able to keep eye open for any length of time...ventured out into spring sunshine and temps...and a quickie zoom all made for an enjoyable day....in my dreams i travel but only just dreams....grateful for small miracles that keep me going....

and no broken dishes so far!  instead at 2 am spent time on bike with 40s swing tunes on youtube...far less messy and energy zapping...hoping i'll be communing with needle and thread very soon and this latest detour just a memory....my DWR is long overdue to be finished....life is indeed good!