Squirrel!

Laurel Ridge is moving along.  It is now at the point where it is in nine parts.  Next, the nine parts will be stitched together, and it will become the center of the quilt.  Then two borders to be stitched on.  They will be the easiest part, I think.

Last week a squirrel came zipping by.  It is the Sampler Bag from Shepard's Bush in Ogden, Utah.  I have watched this for a bit and somehow it was in my mailbox (I must have placed an order).  

The bag is done except for the buttons which need to be stitched on.  These project bags are just the nicest thing, and I do use them regularly.  Fun to make and fun to use.

The top half is the pincushion.  The bottom half is the scissor keepers.  One will become a scissors keeper.  The second one will be added to the back of the pincushion with my name and year.

Our snow has melted, only some is left near the tree lines.  Not as many birds are at my feeders.  Spring must be coming.  (For sure it is pothole season.)  But it is currently 33F outside and we are under a wind advisory with intermittent snow.  New England weather is amazing.  

Enjoy your threads this day.  Thinking of what UFO will next have my attention.  Can't allow myself to start anything new.  Need to empty some of these project boxes.

 

March

Four weeks ago, my husband had the COVID.  Two weeks ago, I was the recipient of his sharing.  The usual symptoms.  Filling my birdfeeders outside once a day was the extent of my activity.  The body was exhausted and brain wasn't working.

Early last week I decided to see if I could put a block together for Laurel Ridge.  This is the first time in a long time that I had to mark my pieces to know what I was doing.  I was so careful and reviewed the directions at every step. 

It worked.  The block was put together without help from Jack.

But I did have help from Gibbs. Here he is holding down pieces of the next series of blocks.

I had to place them on the wall to make sure they were in proper order.  It worked.  Only one more of this section needs to be stitched together.

This is the first time in a long time that I have played thread chicken and did not even know it.  You can see that the spool is empty.  

There was enough thread to be able to stitch to the end of the block.  

Laurel Ridge Quilt is at the stage of putting the parts together.  I have enjoyed this quilt, and it has taught me something very important.  Part way through I started to use starch on the blocks with super small parts.  I have used starch before and had mixed feelings about it.  After this quilt, starch is the way to go.  

Enjoy your day.  We are having a sunny day in the 30s.  Our snowpack is decreasing.  That means I will need to get outside and shovel some of the snowpack where the birds have dropped the shells of seeds.  Maybe that will help with spring clean-up.