Baby's quilt

It isn't often I have helpers around to show off a quilt. I took advantage of the girls' visit this week to capture the quilt for their new baby brother due to arrive this Spring.

They were kind of cooperative...

And kind of noisy...

So here are a few more shots of the finished quilt. I titled it "Big Hugs, Little Kisses", as I'm sure he may be a bit smothered in love!

The 6-minute circle technique was perfect for the 8 inch "hugs" and the 4 inch "kisses" were made from a simple drawing and then paper-pieced.

The quilting is done in straight diagonal lines radiating from the center, forming a giant "X" of quilting. It was tough to capture the way the light was hitting the quilt, but you get the idea!

We hope he likes it!!! . . . Cindy

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A little reality check.

Sometimes, when things are going fairly well, and the headache seems manageable, I slip slide into my old busy-ness.  It seems so right.

This morning, I was weaving on my new purple towel warp, in waffle weave. I was zipping right along, having found my groove.
I felt good, really good.  In fact, at one point, I thought about how "minimal" my headache was, and almost gave a "hallelujah".
It would have been premature.
For sure.

Unfortunately, this pattern work keeps my head down, watching what I am doing.  No mindless throwing of the shuttle, glancing down only occasionally.  Nope, I was intent.

And after a while, too long I fear, "me NECK" just suddenly went as stiff as cement, and the pain was immediate.
Within 5 minutes, my headache was full tilt, and nauseating.

I only tried to avoid the inevitable for about 10 minutes or so......and then I came home.
I know the drill.

Roy was waiting for me.  He immediately gets under my arm on the couch, and sits with his face leaning on mine.  And no matter how many times I tell him not to lick my face,  he still occasionally tries to.
Then he yawns that exaggerated yawn, that is both primordial and expressive.  I have yet to figure out what it is he is thinking.
Hot tea, heated Rice Pack on back of neck, Motrin, laying back with eyes closed, contemplating the situation.
Little voice says: "This is a revolting turn of events."
Which makes me smile.

What???  you don't have a little voice?

I don't believe you.  It's that one that Eckhart tells us not to listen to.
You know the one.

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A little Sunday nonsense.

Still cold here, but supposed to start warming up tomorrow, even with freezing rain, I'll take it.

I am infused with hopefulness, and positive thoughts about the future.

Sydney says:
HUH?

 

I got my next towel warp on the loom.  It wasn't easy.  Because my neck is so stiff and painful........hmm, must be those titanium rods........I threaded it over several days, where I would usually put the warp on and thread it in one day.  No more.  NEW NORMAL.

It is a waffle weave in shades of purple.

Do you like it?

 

I will eventually have all big looms out of the living room, because  I would prefer to use it for small, portable looms, and classes.

But for today, I did some moving around that did not involve taking the Hammett apart.
That will come later.

It does look better though.

Room to move around, and less clutter.

I took time to drink my banana, blueberry, protein shake in front of the stove.

For some reason, I never get tired of looking at this $2 find in a thrift store.

Just goes to prove that you sometimes don't have to spend a lot of money.

I moved one chair to another room, to give me some space, for now.

 

When I was a kid, I would often come home to the furniture moved all around.  My mother was a great one for trying out different spots for things.

So I guess now it comes naturally.

 

As long as there is room to "LOLL" by the fire, the "girls" don't care.

 I have always loved the floors in this house.  I am so glad I didn't listen to the advice I got to NOT strip years of brown paint off them.

 

Now here's a mystery for you.

My daughter texted me this picture......her friend has it in the barn, and no one knows what it is.

I said, "I bet my blogging peeps know".....so don't let me down here.

 

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Affirmation

Life is good.  Inherently.  Good.

  

No matter what befalls us, there is joy around every corner.

 

Something we didn't look for, didn't ask for, never expected.
Joy.
A smile so deep you can feel it deep in your gut.

A piece of us, that sustains us, and makes us who we are.

Have you noticed that most of those moments involve the people you love?
Not money, not stuff, not our wish list.
People.We. Love.


Climbing a mountain, reaching the top.
Finding out you have it in you.
Joy.
Sharing it.
With someone that matters.

 

It's not perfect, this life.   

Sometimes it's sad, and sometimes it's unfair.

But then sometimes it's so perfect and beautiful that we are lost for words.

 Yes, on occasion, I wonder why I have had this challenge of the headache, the surgery, and what has followed, and what's to come.

But MOSTLY, I am just so grateful.  For all of it.  Every day, and every moment, painful and otherwise.

Cause the "otherwise" just makes my heart sing.

And these three, well, they are rock stars to me.
It's a beautiful life.  For sure.

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Thank you Redbird Bee!

 Thank you to Gina, Kelly, Rene, Toni, Carolyn, Hanna, Linda, Nancy, Miss Nancy, Kyndra and Tess. The girls of the Redbird Bee made my blocks and I couldn't be happier with them!

 White sashing between the blocks was all it took to make them a quilt...

The block is one I used in the cover quilt of my first book, Gathered From the Garden, called Garden of Eden. I love the design and always knew I had to make a quilt using it some day.

I found this cute owl fabric at our local store, Fabric Nosherie and thought it would make a perfect backing. Don't you think? The binding is a brown stripe I've had stashed for a while - and I'm glad I did. It sure works here!

This is my first Bee ~ what fun to have a quilt made by your special quilty friends! . . . Cindy

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That's the question.

Split finger tips, dry skin, scuttling from one heat source to another.
Winter.
Gotta love it.

Here's my theory:
We have two houses. TWO.
The one we live in, and the studio.
They are both situated in middle of the DEEP FREEZE.

I think we need to sell the one we live in.
Then buy a small place somewhere warm........just not Florida.
I am not a fan of Florida.

But Georgia, South Carolina........both of them .......right THIS MINUTE..........are FORTY degrees warmer than it is here in northeast NY.  And both of them will be 68 degrees next week.
Hallelujah.

Then we could live at the studio from mid April to Thanksgiving, and then GO SOUTH for the WINTER.

 

 I could take a couple of looms with me.
L can handle the studio...in fact, she would probably love the peace and quiet.

My mother?   GET IN THE CAR.

 

Roy is happy as long as he is wherever we are.

 (Christa, this is the slub yarn, 85% rayon, 15% silk)


So what is the problem, you ask?????

When I bring this subject up, DH looks at me as if I have just suggested we take a trip to Mars.
He is resistant to change, and apparently would rather deal with frigid temps and what seems to be an endless winter.
My question is this:  if you don't live your wild and precious life NOW, then when will you?

 

Don't ask why we have TWO 31"x99" hemmed runners.

DON'T ASK.

(I won't tell, L, I promise)

 

 So I guess I will have to just go south without DH.  I can send him lots of photos of Roy and I laying in the sun.
I'll take Roy.  I'll take my headache.
Do you think he'll keep my mother?  That sounds fair, don't you think?

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Taking the day, every day.

I won't lie to you.
My head does NOT like this deep freeze we are experiencing.  I don't even want to walk Roy when the sun is shining, it's that cold.

I wake up in the morning, and swear to God someone smacked the back of my head with a large stick.
Luckily for me, I am fiercely stubborn, and pig headed, and resistant to being bossed around, even by a smashing headache.
I know, a lot of people would just stay in bed, or lounge around in their bathrobes watching TV all day.

Uh, no.  Not me.
I order myself out of bed, and to the shower, where I stand eyes clenched letting the steamy hot water run on my neck.  I eventually end up downstairs making tea, dressed and ready for the day with a bit of an attitude: damnyouheadacheyouarenotthebossofme.
Eat cereal immediately, so I can put Motrin down my pie hole without getting sick, drink hot tea,  put my fave herbal rice pack that has been in  the  microwave for 3 minutes right on the back of my neck.
And then I am very, very still for just as long as possible.
And slowly, very slowly, my reward comes.  The headache backs off just a bit, and then a bit more.

It never really goes away.
But Jimmy crack corn and I don't care....if you know what I mean.  This is my life, and it may not be perfect, but damn, it is my life, and I am going to proceed, headache in hand if you will.  If that's the way it has to be, then so be it. 
I can do this.
(repeat several times for effect)

My friend, Bonnie, and I went to Trader Joe's today, about 50 minutes away.  She and I are both vegetarians, and like a lot of the same foods.
It was a real treat.  I bought so many cool things to eat, I don't know where to start.

I also bought my mother some flowers, just to cheer her up.

I decided to take the whole day off, all of it.  So we went to lunch at my fave place, the Rockhill Bakery, and then I came home to knit in a sunny window.

My cohort, is usually nearby.  VERY nearby.

That's not to say that wanting to be warm doesn't make him just a little fickle.   And my mother has a stove that he warms up to.

But he'll be back.  Cause he loves me more than that old stove.

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The Rug that L made.

Loom warped, 8'x10' rug woven by L.

I cut the fabric, and when she was done, I tied the fringe, and sewed the three pieces together....but L made the rug.
Her first SOLO BIG RUG ORDER.
WHOO HOO.

Have to put this in her employee folder.
Ha!

It did turn out quite nicely, didn't it?? It went to a penthouse in Manhattan.
I'm serious, it really did.

Today I had a student.  It went well.

She has done a little weaving on her own, but runs into trouble when warping.  She didn't have any trouble today.

There is nothing quite so satisfying as a well wound warp.

You asked about Next and Nuff..........and their new shelter.....when it's warmer they sit in their respective chairs, but now they have  a nice wind break with the heated pad.

 

Fifty one days until spring.

Who's counting.

 

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