The Habits of This Quilter & So Much More

So here we are as March roars in like a lion outside this weekend.  It is snowing again filling in the footprints from when we went to run errands this morning.  The sound about the house is just the sound of me clicking away on the laptop at the moment to the untrained eye doing a quick observation.  The rest of the house mates are taking naps so ear buds contain the music that I have playing not so quietly.  I love to listen to music of all kinds at all times but must keep the volume down.  I fill it with music that fits the moment.  And I must confess to have one habit that could be annoying to those around me.  I like to sing with it…. to myself … under my breath… just above a mumble.  It appears this can be annoying or so I have been told. 

I think this singing comes from many many years of Chorus and Choirs classes in school about 95% of my school career.  This was before Choirs were referred to as “Glee” classes like they are know as now.  Back when it was white shirts, a dark skirt of either navy blue or black depending on the school and black flats.   There might have even been some “robes” scattered in there too.  They always made me think of Church for some reason.  Where we had concerts in malls, schools etc standing on those tiered risers.  You know the ones I’m talking about.  Flashback to audiences full of parents staring at the back of the choir master as they directed fidgety stacks of students and everyone hoping that no one locks their knees and falling off.  I remember that for the most part the boys are almost away in the middle to be flanked by the the altos and the sopranos on the outer wings as I sit here rolling my eyes at the mere thought of it all.   

Okay now that the trip down memory lane has ended, what was I saying?  Oh yeah… habits.  So as I was saying – I tend to sign along – a lot.  I guess it’s an ingrained habit that is second nature to me.  So much so that I can run my sewing machine with one foot and keep the beat with the other one at the same time and which foot is doing what is interchangeable at any given minute.  LOL.  I can chair dance as well as the rhythms of the sewing machine runs.  I have several preset “playlist” listed in my media player, including one called '”sewing machine mix”  that is about 30+ hours long.  Now I have been know plug in, tune out, & hit the “tunnel vision” at full tilt.  That is the makings of a good sewing marathon to me.  Only to take break as necessary for the necessities. What does this on going rambling  amounting to?  All this nonsense about music and sewing.

Well the last couple of days of February ended with this to show for such efforts.  This, my friends; uses the “Pop Stars” pattern from Stitchin’ Tree Quilts.  This runner is 18” x 60 1/2” .  So understand how that relates to me -  I’m a mere 5’3” and about 18” wide in the shoulder.  Yep -- it’s dang near as big as me.  LOL.  I used what was on hand, as that is the theme of the year, hence the white background.   I’ve named mine “Fractured Stars”  and well be quilted this month as soon as I figure out how want it to look.  This one is destined to go in the “Gift-A-Month” box for the end of the year. 

                                                                           “Fractured Stars”

What you think?   Doesn’t get  any better than that … right?  So okay … what do you doing while you sew?  Are you as extreme me?  Or are sitting there shaking your head… muttering “Oooo-kay Doe-key?”  Come on ‘fess up ... did this mental image pop in your head only to have it cause you to giggle in agreement saying “ Boy … she sure hit it right on the head with that one!”   not caring who actually hears you when you do the same thing.  Nice thing to know… cats don’t even bat an eyelash when this happens.  They will just curl up on whatever project you’re working on and take a nap if possible.  {{Shake your head in agreement here … hee hee}}  Shhh!!! I’ll let you in on a little secret.  About mid-month I’ll have to TWO days with out Mr. S being here.  So loud music and a marathon is in order I think. 

I even have the project all picked out.  Now I can’t talk about the pattern until Bea @ Beaquilter  gives me permission to reveal it – but I’m going to be working on a test pattern for her.  I do have to confess that I did by some fabric for this one for a couple of reasons.  I picked out a fabric that I wanted to use but I didn’t have anything to work out with it.  But it’s the only fabric purchase since fall time.  The fabric I had was the green floral fabric print in the center of the picture.   My plan is to use that for the binding.  It’s not going overly girly but the subtle brown tone-on-tone floral and the binding will lend itself to it quietly.  The small nonpareil dots are the same scale and will have nice balance with the two solids. 

                                                          Fabrics for Bea’s Test Pattern

Let’s see what else have I been up to?  Well remember last week when I mentioned that I was designing an One-Of-A-Kind bag for a friend (OOAK).  It’s is done!!   It’s BIG… like take it to quilt shop BIG!!   This is standing on the floor in front of my Kenmore freezer chest.  If you look real close, you can see the Kenmore badge. And the hand is wrapped behind the jar to hold them up. 

This is standing on the floor in front of my Kenmore freezer chest.  If you look real close, you can see the Kenmore badge. And the hand is wrapped behind the jar to hold them up.  In the body of the bag is a 17” x 23” cutting mat, a partial bolt of navy blue cotton and a half a bolt of 45” white muslin. 

 

In the frontal packets is my 3” x 18”  ruler, a full yard of flannel and a 7” triangle ruler.   That last pic just shows some of the seam stitching on the top of the bag & on the handles.  When I showed it off the library it got good praise.  Not bad for flying off the cuff if I can humbly say myself.   It’ look like it even passed the Kitty Inspector too.

Also this week I moved along on my other goal of getting the background on the brass bookmark.  I got that done and moved on to the letters.  I have started & re-start it a couple of times before just getting down to business.  But progress was made and that’s all that counts I guess.

So we can check that off the list along with doing the 3 B’s and  starting the hand quilting on “Autumn’s Trail.”   I got “Pop Stars” put together and sandwiched, that goal is met.  Okay the means that the 3 main quilty goals where completed which is good.   As for the reading challenge I have 4 more books to add to the finished count.    Now I guess I need to contemplate this month’s goals.  How about we go with:

1. Quilt “Fractured Stars”
2. Complete Bea’s Test Pattern & provide her with photos by April 1st
3. Get half of the letters done on my book marker
4. Make 2 of my Thangle Blocks from Ms. M of Wisconsin
5. Read at least 5 more books for my reading challenge
6. Make One of 3 Quilt Stitchery Sampler blocks from LMS

Oh… if you look to the right you will see two new buttons there.  Let me explain those.  I’m going to join up with Corey over there @ Little Miss Shabby as part of her Quilt Stitchery Sampler.  This looks to be very interesting as I start my fledging adventure into the world of cross-stitching.  These little darling “quilt” blocks are only 1 3/4”  in size if I use a 14ct. Aida cloth.  I have a ton of flosses but currently have a piece of 18 count of Aida, but I guess in theory I could just double the size of my stitches to make them large until such I time I can invest in some different sizes of Aida clothes.  So since I have a doctor appointment on Wednesday, I can take this with me to work on.  Who knows I might get one of the 3 blocks done while I sit there.  I’m going to be digging through all those flosses here shortly.

As for that 2nd one…. well now is where things get interesting.  I finally won one of those “Traveling Stash” boxes that have been traveling around the States the last couple of years.  I have received my box this week but I have yet to decide to what I want to keep … (okay I admit I want it all …lol) and what I’m going to trade in & out.  This week is extremely busy for me so time is a little tight.  But I will get some pictures of it and the trades for next weeks post along with the rules on how to play.  I’m thinking that the drawing for this will being following week and announced on the 16th.  So if this might be something that you are interested in playing in, be sure to come back for that.  Here is a peek of the very full medium flat rate box.

Here’s the even bigger announcement.  Katie over @ http://karmawillowdesigns.blogspot.com/  needed someone to take over the “Traveling Stash Box” (TSB) and after some consideration, I volunteered once I heard she had no one else interested in it.  Viola!!! Just like that I have got a new hat to wear here in blog land.  She seems to have a great deal of faith in my abilities to do this as she hands over the preverbal reins to me this month.  I on the other hand take them with a tad bit of apprehension and “What was I thinking” mentally.   But here we are … and I just ask for a little patience as I try to make the transition as smooth as possible. 

Whew!!!   What a busy week.   If you haven’t guess by now, I’m kind of a “closet” foodie.  I did play with my new cookbook some more.  This time I made Rice with Green Tea & Salmon.  That was awesome!!   I had most of the ingredients on hand except for the Sencha – a Japanese loose leaf green tea.  Instead I used two bags of Twinning's Green Tea with Jasmine.  Some for the dish and some to accompany my meal as a drink.  It’s actually pretty and with the bouquet of the jasmine, pleasant smelling too. 

                                                                              The Book

 

                                           Mine Before Tea & After Tea is added …Yum … Wasabi

                                  Here you can see some of the white rice underneath all that Salmon!

This was very tasty without being heavy.  The different textures was pleasant.  I would be making this again the future.  Hummm…. maybe I need to find a pretty oriental dish set for such dishes.  It’s only seems right that pretty food should  go into pretty dishes.  Sounds like a mission is at hand.  Wish I still had my one set…. but … well that is a sad story.

As for the “Girls”  I got a couple of pictures that kind of reminded me on book ends.  I went as far as making the first one my current desktop photo.  It just makes ya want to go “aawwww.”    The starange thing we have noticed with Miss Honey is she almost always hold one foot or the other up.  We looked and there isn’t any seeable reasons why.  She reminds me of my corgi who would do that when he was waiting for directions. 

    

Wow now that I have gone over 2000  words {{ whaaatttttt!! big eyes here … lol}} I’ll wrap things up for the week.  Just remember a couple of things.  Book Worm Wednesday has several reviews coming.  Then be sure to watch out for those TSB details & pictures next weekend.  Comments are fun to get and the “Girls” loving & responding to the other furries that stop in to visit their “Mommy Staff” personal.    Until next time…

Toodles,
Tricia