Think I'll just eat dessert.

Sometimes you sense a subtle change in the course of events. You almost can't put your finger on it.
But there it is anyway.
You want to go back, to a time before, but that's not allowed.
You're in the here, and now, and this is what you've got.
Better buck up, and get ready.

My mother isn't home from the hospital for a whole day, and she's short of breath already.
Shower, shampoo, get her this, get her that, fix her meds for the week.  Look at the appointments.
I think I sat blankly staring at the TV until I had to go to bed.  I say that because now I have no recollection of what was on.  I didn't knit, wasn't reading.  My brain was toast.
That's ok sometimes, right?
I don't even like TV.

I am looking ahead at the summer, the fall, and trying to put myself in the mindset that will serve me best.
Care of an aging parent.
I know there are books out there about it, but can anyone really tell you how it's going to be?   Isn't it like any other place you haven't been?  You have to do it yourself?

When I went to the studio this morning, I tried to soak up some of the serenity that abides there.
I want to take it with me.

 

So far so good on keeping critters out of my little garden.

I'm hopeful.

I put it in late, but it can still produce.

 

If it doesn't do much, that's ok, I will work on it for next year.  I am going with the flow, in all things.  It seems like the thing to do.


Sometimes when I am  stressed, I bake.
So yesterday I made my blueberry pumpkin pound cake, and a new recipe, Strawberry Tirimisu.
I found it HERE.   Creampuffsinvenice
Now if only it tastes as good as it looks.

I'll keep you posted.

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Popping in

It never fails to amaze me how life whizzes past.  One day folds into the next and the next, and sometimes I wish I could grab hold of it and slow. it. down.
There are so many aspects of my life that pull me one way, then the other.

As much as I've dreamed of going to Maine for a couple of weeks this summer, it's just not going to happen.  My mother has been in the hospital three times now in the last five weeks.
It's just what happens, when you are nearing 90, and your body starts breaking down.
I wonder sometimes, what she would be like if she had changed her diet 20 years ago after she had a cardiac bypass, and if she had put a  walking schedule into her life.

Ah, but that's history.  She didn't change anything. She figured they "fixed" her, and she could just do what she wanted.  She became sedentary.  There's no other word.
She's also addicted to television. Has been long before she was old.  Movies in particular.  Some movies she watches over and over again.  So sedentary works for that.

Unfortunately, sedentary doesn't do much for arthritis.  And as many times as I've told her that activity DOES make the pain lessen, after you've worked through it, she won't.

I'm not like her.  Not in that way anyway.  My father's genes are firmly planted in my lifestyle.  I am always on the move.  It's not a bad thing.  I am getting older, but old age will have to chase me down.
That's the way it is.

I have 9 rugs done towards my goal of 50, but it doesn't seem like work to me at all.  In fact, I'm having a lot of fun with it.

I just try to get a little done each day.  It centers me, and keeps me focused.

In between the craziness, I savor moments of serenity;  with my knitting, reading a great book, walking my Roy boy, just driving in the car listening to Renaissance guitar.
I AM being better to myself, even in a difficult situation.

 

I give myself slack that I never did before.  I tell myself it's ok, when in the past, I would have gotten the whip out.

Pacing myself.

It's all brand new.

And this too shall pass.

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Lucky Stars BOM progress...

Yeah me! I've kept on top of my Lucky Stars BOM patterns and the June block is done!

One of my problems with these year long projects is that I'm so flighty when it comes to color and fabric choices. I can't even remember the palette I started with ~ I've been foolishly adding and subtracting as I go.

So I thought it might be a good idea to look at my first six blocks together and see how things are developing. Goodness, the purply-pink was supposed to be an accent color and the green has almost disappeared. I've been pretty consistent with the navy ~ that's good. Looks like we need a bit more of that yellowy-green.

Stay tuned to see what happens next month!



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What I love to do

So I got the sectional beam for my AVL, but unfortunately, there is no place to attach the tension box.
AVL has an attachment that you can put on the back of the loom, but it is made with a groove that fits the AVL tension box.
I have a Leclerc tension box, and that was a problem.

Luckily, I have access to a handy man, the same guy that built my porch and has done a hundred other jobs for me.
He built me a frame, out of hard wood, that attaches in the exact same place as the AVL extension would go, but this one works with my Leclerc tension box.

So now, all I have to do is pound all the sectional pieces into the beam, and we are ready to go.

I haven't decided yet what my first project will be.

Decisions, decisions.

It is brutally hot in the northeast.  Even the studio, which normally maintains its cool even in the midst of summer, was unbearable.

I managed to finish these two rugs, reminding me once again about what I love to do.

First, a container rug in BLUES.

 

Then a container rug in shades of RED

But right now, I am staying close to the AC.
Got my book.

 

Got my iced tea.

I'm good.

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Triangles and Geese and Swans...

July is my month in the Redbird Bee! This year we're focusing on different techniques and mine is triangles. I wanted to do Flying Geese and when I saw this quilt from QuiltCon on my friend Casey's blog, I knew I had it! And the challenge of figuring out *how* to put it together ~ well, that's right up my alley!

You can see the quilt on Flickr here.

The quilt was designed and made by Lotje who blogs here, with more details on the quilt and a link to instructions here.

So I went about trying to find an easy way to re-create the design. I'm sharing my method here for the Bee gals and for any of you who might want to try it!

This is the block they're making...

I have all the pieces cut and we're using the rectangle and folded square method of making the Flying Geese. They're are lots of ways to make Flying Geese and I think this is one of the easiest. There's a great tutorial of this method and 3 other ways to sew Flying Geese on this post of Martingale's blog.

For this block, you'll make a total of 10 Flying Geese (mine are 2 1/2" x 5" finished). Sew six of them together in 3 rows of two and sew the rows together for half of the block.

To make the Flying Geese that look like they're sitting behind a big one, sew a rectangle that's the same size as the Flying Goose (in this case 3" x 5 1/2") along the long edge of the triangle. Press the seam open.

Place this unit on a 5 1/2" x 10 1/2" rectangle with the point of the goose facing to the center. Draw a line from corner to corner. Sew on the line, flip, press and trim.

Here's the result...

Repeat with a second Flying Goose/Rectangle unit on the opposite side. Again make sure the goose is pointing in to the center.

Sew the 2 remaining Flying Geese together and add them along the top to complete the second half of the block. Sew the two halves together.

 I'll be making some additional blocks with the small triangles (lower right) to add to the final quilt. Mine will have 35 blocks and finish at 50" x 52 1/2".

I'm hoping it turns out as pretty as Lotje's!!!

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On the farm

The girls keep  me on my toes.  More weaving this morning.  They really do love it.
And you are right, their selvedges are just about perfect, and I think it's exactly because they DON'T think about it.
They just weave.
There is something so natural about the way they do it.

But they wanted to see "Maizie", my friend's goat baby.  So off to the farm we headed.

My BFF and her partner have a small part of heaven.  And I'm not kidding.

Her sheep have to cross this little bridge to get to their pasture.

A little mud, and the threat of bugs was not about to deter these two.
They were on a mission.

The flock was in the far corner of the four acres, under some trees for shade.  There was a lovely breeze blowing.

Maizie is getting big, but she is still the princess here.

 Some are not so impressed, though.

Some are downright grumpy about it.

I can STILL see you.

We had a great day.   It's like being a mother with young kids again, but better.

I love watching them investigate their world.  Do you remember when everything was so new and wonderful??
It's good to remember.

 We left the farm and went to town, where we had Mexican for lunch, and ended up in the book store.
The girls were intent on picking out books.
I left the childrens' section for a few minutes, and my friend, who had stayed with the two girls, texted me and said, "you are in SO much trouble."
Ah, yes.  But it's only money.
And there is something so special about kids in a book store.
Me??
I wrote down the names of the books I wanted, came home, and requested them online from the library.
And it's ALL good.

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Satisfaction

This has been a busy day.

But if success is measured by how much money I made, or how many rugs I made, then I wasn't very successful.

 

But sometimes, actually most times, success is measured in other ways.  Simpler ways.

In which case, I am very successful.

Weaving Bootcamp 2013

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Ohio Star blocks...

My house has gone quiet. After four weeks of visitors big and small, my husband and I are appreciating  the quiet. But we sure do miss the patter-patter of little feet, the "hey, Nana"s, and the expressions of unconditional love.

I Love You Nana A Lot (with 100s of smiles and zero frowns)

Seems the perfect time to start a new project. My St Louis Modern Quilt Guild has issued this years' challenge ~ make a modern quilt using the traditional block Ohio Star.

I came up with a plan, pulled out my collection of Washi fabric and started cutting triangles.

So here's a start ~ one cute little 6" Ohio Star block...

And another...

I'm up to eight out of the seventeen that I need. Oh, and lots of other blocks too!

You won't see the rest of this one until the final reveal in September. Hope it turns out as well as it looks in my head!

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Getting it right, or nearly.

After kayaking yesterday, I was ready to get back to the studio today.
I love to get there early, because the light there in the morning is special.

So I walked around taking some shots.  There are always projects underway.
 I'll get back to this one soon.

Loved the sunlight on one of the window seats where the cats lounge. 

DH said that maybe my recovery would take a year, or more.

Sometimes I think he might be right.

But one thing I do know is this:  the changes are so gradual, that I can't identify them day to day.

But every few weeks, I realize that things have changed.  

A little better, a little more normal.

It's slow, but I'm hoping it's sure.

I believe that my frame of mind has played  a huge role in how I've put this behind me. 

Believing that has kept me focused.

 

 

And I'm back to the loom.  Where I belong.

We have 5 of the 50 done.

Woot.

Here's a little pink and white. (it's actually faded red)

And some blue and white.

 

 While we are busy working inside, Next is having a tense conversation with a little black cat that seems intent on making CAAL his home.

Next wasn't buying it.

They were nose to nose, and you could hear them growling.

 

Love these hemmed blue jean rugs that L just took off the loom.......there are two.

Then she got a little creative, and did an awesome job on this one.

 (Don't tell her, but she's turning into a real, rag rug WEAVER, picking out her own colors and designing on the fly)

I wish I had a lot more of this fabric, but there isn't much left.
It makes such a pretty rug.

But this is my  favorite so far of this batch.  It took the longest, but I do love it.

"Clasped weft."            
  Say that 3 times fast.  Oh, go ahead, you know you want to.

 Ain't life grand?

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