April OMG Finish

Wow, this was a last minute finish.  But it's done.  I've got my first three blocks completed:

Very goth looking.  Hmm...

I'm still trying to figure out the layout and how I want to place the colors.  I had some breakthroughs yesterday, but had to get cracking on the blocks themselves to finish by the end of the month.  These are really dark, but they are the darkest bit of the quilt.  The colors are better in person.  I'm trying out a few more colors before I continue.

Sharing with:
Elm Street Quilts - April One Monthly Goal

I Like Thursday: Construction, Carpentry and Conductivity

Only a couple of days left to complete my April OMG.  I've traced the patterns; the blocks are 9" finished, which is a little too big to print out on my printer.  I think I have a plan and just need to complete three blocks to make my goal.  Think I can do that in two days and write a blog post?  Maybe...

How's this for a weird like:  one year ago I was laid off from my job of 29 years, just as covid started to really take off.  I am so grateful for the shake up; I desperately needed a change of pace.  I've been at the new place nearly six months and it is so much less stressful than my old job.

I Like Thursday: Greens and Chocolate

This has been a week for the yard.  I've started work on a raised garden.  We assembled a cart that had been delivered last week.  I like how my seedlings are growing, too.  Time to transplant some of them.  Maybe this weekend.

Work has been really engaging, which is great - except it's hard to disengage at night to get other stuff done. 

Adjustments

Things continue to be chock-a-block full around here.  So what do I do?  I add to it.  Ha.   

First off - I spent several hours over the last two days researching feedburner alternatives and programming a subscribe-by-email widget for my blog that I'm happy with.  Gah.  That was time I could have used elsewhere.  For those of you interested - I'm trying out follow.it since it has the ability to do rss and email.  If you were an email subscriber through feedburner,  I have ported you over.  You should have received an email from the new service (although I think it will look a lot different).  I am curious if it works - please leave me a comment.  If you subscribed through an rss feed, you may wish to resubscribe; I've updated the link and it will take you to the new feed.  This whole thing seems a little clunky... we'll see how it goes.  If I am happy with follow.it, I will eventually unlink the feedburner from this blog (I'll be sure to post a reminder to change feeds before I do).   eta:  I suspect I'm already having problems with this... I think more research is needed...

 

Now for the fun distractions - I spent some of Wednesday night and Thursday morning setting up for the latest foster from Dakin.  Meet Chocolate:  a lone boar that is staying with us for a bit of love and attention while awaiting a forever home.  Chocolate is skittish and a bit lonely.  Even with playthings in the cage, seems bored without another piggy to interact with.  I hope he gets adopted with a buddy he gets along with.

Chocolate arrived at the house with some real chocolate - pastries from Cerrato's.  The real motivation for Rob volunteering for piggy taxi service is chocolate and lemon bon bons.  

I Like Thursday: Visits

Having a fully vaccinated household and a fully vaccinated mother meant she could come to visit.  Which she did!  We even went out for dinner.  <gasp!>  Outdoor seating on a wonderful sunny, warm evening.

It was awesome.

My sister and nephew came up on Saturday to meet on our back deck.  It gave me a chance to return a wall quilt to her after I reblocked it.  That was a bit more complicated than I had anticipated (but with a happy ending).

We met up again on Sunday morning in Sunderland, and we walked by this old dilapidated house.  Doesn't it look like the perfect haunted house?  It was impressively intact for looking so run down.

Adventures in Blocking and Bleeding

Pinned to the floor

I finished Creekbed last November.  My sister snagged it, declaring it looked perfect on her living room wall.  (I have to admit - it does look good there!)  However, she didn't like how the bottom bowed out.  I'm sure I stretched the fabric on the setting triangles while sewing on the wavy border.  I told her to bring it back to me and I'd block the quilt.

I wet it down and spent a chunk of time Thursday evening squaring and pinning it to a throw rug in the sun room.  Perfect.  I left it to dry overnight.  When I checked on it on Friday morning, I discovered several of the reds and blues had bled all over the white sashing.  Oh no!

I Like Thursday: Candy and Eggs

 

I enjoyed making Easter candy over the weekend.  They make a pretty picture.  I really hope next year to have some friends and family over to make them, too!

Speaking of Easter - have you ever seen the Faberge eggs?  I remember seeing them at a museum years ago.  Impressive.

Wow - that suddenly reminds me of Colleen Moore's dollhouse.  I love dollhouses, and was amazed at the pictures and descriptions of this one.  Gold and jewels!  Working waterworks.  How cool is that?  Got to see it in person in 1985. 

Another Solo Candy Making

I found myself making Easter candy by myself again this year.  I had figured last year's solo work was a fluke.  Maybe next year will be different?

I was a bit more ambitious and made more than last year, hoping that I'll be able to give it away in person (instead of shipping it).  I also tried a new recipe for cookie dough truffles.  I worked on the centers during the week so I wouldn't tackle too much at once on Saturday.

April OMG

I'm in the lull between quilting projects.  I'm making Easter candy this weekend (mostly dipping chocolates) and a little more gardening (planting indoor stuff).  My sewing machine desperately needs some cleaning and oiling.  Then I need to reblock a quilt.  

After that... I MUST start working on what I'm calling the icy waters quilt (because I'm still wavering between three designs).  I have the fabric (isn't it beautiful?), possibly backing fabric and a good idea of what I want to do.  What I really need is to take the plunge and start cutting.

My goal for April is to have selected a pattern and made at least three blocks.  If I can get at least that far, that will give me enough momentum to run with the rest.  So often I just need a shove in the right direction and then I take off!

Sharing with:
Elm Street Quilts - April One Monthly Goal

 

 

I Like Thursday: April Fools

March is supposed to come in like a lion, out like a lamb?  Well, the wind has been roaring all month; I think it will blow out the way it blew in.

This bucket of colorful feathers appeared at the top of the hill.  I liked the little bit of whimsy against the grey and brown landscape - a little burst of cheer, promising more to come.

The crocuses have started to bloom.  I am looking forward to more color in the yard soon.