My Home State

I loaded this panel onto Snowbird last week to do some bead board, straight-line, quilting. I decided to use the panel as is, it measures 19" X 44" and is perfect, without being bordered, as a table runner for our kitchen table. I had it quilted up in no time.
One of the very best tips that I've ever heard is one that I learned from quiltdivajulie. She makes her bindings before she's quilted her pieces so that they're ready to go when the quilt is trimmed and needs finishing. For me, this is a psychological trick-- it takes no less time to have it made and ready ahead of time, but it is such a efficient way to work. My mind doesn't want to stop and make binding after quilting and trimming; but, I have no trouble loading a quilt, preparing the binding, and then setting about the quilting. When the trimming is finished, the binding is applied right then and there; this is helpful to me and seems like the most productive way to work.

Speaking of efficiency-- actually, I quilted two at the same time. The New Hampshire panel is a gift for my mother. Shhhh-- don't breathe a word if you're reading this and know her, she'll be surprised!

This was done and on the table by last evening. These panels, My Home State, are by Northcott. Mine was a gift from Quiltkeemosabe, check at your LQS for the state of your choice.

Mr. G and I play Cribbage every day, if you're familiar with the game you'll understand the smile on his face-- he had four 5's dealt to him and a Queen turned; this hand is worth 28 points! He had trouble not laughing as we played out the hand, he knew that this experience is very rare and lucky!

Life is Good!

Lessons Learned

I hope to be a lifelong learner; I pray that I never get to that place where I think I've learned all that there is to learn. My grandmother used to tell me that every day spent without learning something new was a wasted day. Recalling that now, probably told to me when I was Jr. High age, was most likely in response to thinking that I already knew it all!  We kept the grandchildren late last week while their mommy was recovering from an outpatient medical procedure. As enthusiastic Cribbage players, we always have a board and deck of cards out and ready for a game. Lynnleigh decided that it was time to learn and PawPaw was a patient teacher. I love my granddaughter's eagerness to learn something new. This game will takes years of learning and practice for her, but she's undaunted.

Here's my class sample from "Fast to Fancy Freehand Feathers", the longarm quilting class that I took up in Hampton, VA. Our instructor, Bethanne Nemesh, was excellent. I appreciated her method of teaching in a manner that let us loose for stitching, and alternately drawing, in well-timed sessions as we explored a variety of increasingly difficult techniques applied to feathers in quilting. I was especially excited by her demonstrations of body placement and showing us ways to protect our spines and posture while working at the longarm. A friend told me years ago if I ever had the opportunity to learn from Bethanne to take advantage of that; I'm so glad that I listened and that I did!

Last week I was summoned to Jury Duty. My daughter told me to take a book. I am so happy to report that I did just that. This is the third time that I've been summoned but only the first time that I have had to report. My time there amounted to waiting in the jury pool room and ultimately being released to go home. 

Round two of my dental implant saga happened on Thursday. I learned my lesson from round one: plan nothing for the rest of the day after sedation dentistry! I am now the proud owner of a threaded insert. All is well and healing continues. 

I decided to try out Kim Diehl's "chubby binding" method on my latest quilt finish. I happened to have her "Simple Seasons" here but I believe this technique is outlined in all of her books. I had ordered a Clover 1" bias tube maker some time ago and it worked great. This is the second new method of binding I've tried this year-- my bias binding of curved corners happened earlier.

I do like the results of the "chubby binding"; it appears as normal on the front side of the quilt and much wider, appearing as sort of a frame, on the back side as seen here. I have since basted this down for hand-finishing. 

As my "Vision 2020" scrap quilt challenge to myself progresses I decided to stitch up cut triangles that have been accumulating in one of my bins. This is a random block that simply grew under my needle. It has distinct possibilities...

Using a copy, cut and paste feature I photographed the block and combined it with itself in various settings; these are my favorite two, with the dark pinwheel center being the overall design winner. And sew it goes... 

Ultimately we're all learning as we go as far as dealing with the current, ongoing health crisis. We're learning how to deal with hunkering down, what we can live without and daily uncertainty. The afore-mentioned book that I took with me to jury duty is Kristin Hannah's "The Nightingale". If you ever had to stop and consider what, exactly, one can live without; this is the book to point out exactly that! Sure, things might not be as convenient right now as we would like, but what can we learn?

In the meantime, take care of yourselves; be smart and pay attention.

And, above all: be prayerful! 

That's the best and most powerful lesson that I've ever learned. 

Life is Good!

Up next: Moving to the "Finished" Column!

Finishing Up

Remember that ongoing porch project? This is how things looked a little over a week ago when I left for Hampton, VA and MidAtlantic Quilt Fest. The scaffolding was still in place and the units were all framed out to receive the screen panels. We had four glass sections installed in the gable end before I left.
Even though the space will be screened in, the screen panels have pull-down vinyl inserts so that we can minimize sweeping and cleaning out here during bad storms and the heaviest pollen in the spring. That's why we decided to glass-in, rather than screen-in, those gable ends. I was in for a big surprise when I arrived back home last Sunday!

Even though they weren't due to arrive until this past week, the screen panels had arrived while I was gone and Mr. Goodneedle already had most of them in place by the time I got home! He finished up installing them last Monday. What a difference; we have a porch!!

We got busy cleaning up our outdoor furniture and moved some of it inside, we cranked up the patio heater and sat down to enjoy our new space. We went to Costco to look for some comfier seating too. 

All Mr. Goodneedle's hard work on that tongue and groove ceiling were worth it, the happiest day for me was the day that the scaffolding came down for good! I could breathe a sigh of relief again. 

The Costco shopping trip paid off; we added a pair of recliners for reading and relaxing and we've ordered a few more pieces to round things out. It's really coming together now and I have no doubt that this new-found space will be utilized fully and frequently. We are already enjoying lunch and cribbage out here every day; we turn on the heater and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature surrounding us!

My latest find: cork-backed William Morris designed placemats; the "Strawberry Thief" pattern. 😊

Here's where we were last spring...

... and today!  What a difference a little less than a year makes. The columns in the foreground are slated for removal soon, but it's all coming together. Finishing up has never looked better. 

Life is Good!

Up next: As Ye Sew, So Shall Ye Rip...

Marking Time

I have a new way of marking time in the Studio these days, the rapid passing of each hour is cuckoo here now; and I love it! (The cuckoo, not the swift passage of time!!) I have been quiet the last two weeks, absent from the blog for good reason; my Mom and Dad have been visiting, we had a wonderful time. They are responsible for this beautiful new addition to the wall. It is a birthday gift, marking a significant birthday (Medicare? Who, me?? That's definitely CUCKOO!) for me near the end of last month. I had seen this clock a few years ago at Keepsake Quilter in Meredith, NH when Mom and I were shopping there. I remarked to her back then about how much I loved it; and, because she's my mother, she remembered! I was very surprised and genuinely thrilled to open this amazing gift!

Our time together passed much too quickly. We did visit an Amish store and neighboring community one day and the Zoo on another. But, mainly, we stayed at home and visited. I did get some sewing done and will share that, as well as a video of the marvelous cuckoo clock in action, in upcoming posts.

The great-grandchildren were all here on several occasions which, naturally,  

is always wonderful for us but was an extra-special treat for my parents. 

I am glad that my mother suggested grabbing my camera for these two shots last Saturday.

My Dad is teaching Gregory how to count and peg a Cribbage hand. This is especially heartwarming to me, as one of my earliest childhood memories is hearing my Grandfather, Dad and Uncle count Cribbage hands on any given Friday night at my grandparents' home. (And, as mentioned above, we all now know how long ago that was!) Mr. Goodneedle and I play Cribbage every day at lunch, and most days at dinner too. In the future may be playing three-handed now, with our grandson!

All too soon it was departure day. We took this picture in the garage right before they headed for home on Monday. They were happy to welcome a back seat passenger, Pfaff, to accompany them on their traveling adventure! (Yes!! My Mom really did come to visit, somehow she didn't appear in any of the photos except for this one!😞)

Life is Good!