I Like Thursday: Stress and Progress

When I told Rob I needed to sit down to write my I Like Thursday post, he asked what I had to like about this week.  Admittedly, it's been a long, exhausting and stressful week.  Every single day some minor crisis or decision came up with the kitchen.  The workers are great and the noise level was reasonable, but it was hard to concentrate on my high-priority project due next week.  We took in a very ill foster guinea pig that didn't make it.  We're both pretty frazzled around the edges.  Goodness, just writing this down makes me tired.  

But...

I have over a half-dozen photos documenting the good things that made me smile this week.  Let's take a gander at them, shall we?

Rob clearly is not impressed with taking selfies, but look! We're dressed for a contra dance!  This was the first contra we've been to since March 2020.  The masks make it warm and I need to figure out how to keep hydrated during the dance in a way that makes me comfortable, but it was lovely to see happy people and get out and move.

I Like Thursday: Chaos

Busy, crazy week - some anxiety, lots of running around, not enough time.  But lots of likes!  Let's see if I have enough time to tell you about them!  

Last week we got word that our kitchen remodel would start this week.  Great!  Except that I had just handed off all our good boxes and packing paper to my sister for a move on Saturday.  So now she was doubly excited that I was helping to unpack on Sunday, because I would take boxes and paper with me!

But first - Saturday I met up with a friend for a hike and some kayaking around Tully Lake.  It was a cloudy, cool, windy day, which was great for hiking.  Not the best for kayaking, but we managed to find a sheltered area to give it a go.  

We met only a few people on the trails - we had most of the four mile loop to ourselves.  Most of the walk was in the woods; the trail popped out at various points for some great views across the lake.  Came across his big rock that looked blue.  I thought it was spray painted at first, but it turned out to be turquoise moss all over it.  Very cool.  

Half-Kite Wonky Squares

I bought the Creative Grids Kites Plus ruler because I liked its versatility - I could cut triangles and hexagons and kites.  I was rather disappointed in the lack of interesting patterns I found online for it.  Still, I found the ruler endlessly intriguing.  I designed Shattered Kites, then Stained Kites.  While working on the latter's backing I hit upon the basic block design used for Sunrise and Bouncing Boxes. 

I Like Thursday: Finishes and Starts

Welcome to this week's likes.  As usual I'm joining up with LeeAnna at I Like Thursday.  

I have been loving the yard and the garden this week.  We've moved from purples to yellows, pinks and whites.  It's been pretty.

Sage is finishing flowering.  These plants looked so beat up from the winter, but they have just leafed and budded like crazy.  There was a huge bumble bee working on it his wings going so fast they didn't show up. 

We had our first bunny sighting last night! 

Bouncing Boxes

Huzzah!  This is the last of my promised quilts - and my OMG.  (For now, of course - I'm about to promise at least two more this year.)  My sewing room has reverted back to its normal configuration and level of disorder.  

Bouncing Boxes is another baby quilt.  I really enjoy working on quilts this size.  The request was for neutral colors, with pale yellow, sage or mint greens, pale browns and greys.  I dug through my stash, then went out to pick the odd colors I didn't have.  I cut so many pieces before I figured out which of the fabrics to keep and where to use them.  

This is another half-kite block design.  I like the diamonds between the squares.  Unlike the pinwheel-and-square layout, all the points come together.  That's eight seams all in one spot!

I Like Thursday: Flowers, Sewing and Sanding

I'm in one of those DO ALL THE THINGS mood and simply don't have the time.  But it's nice to be jazzed about life right now.  This week I've managed to actually do some of the things - so that's a plus, too!

My sister gave me nasturtium seeds for Christmas and the first ones I planted are starting to bloom.  They're pretty!  The potted ones are doing best, but I have several in the garden that are thinking about budding. 

My marigold plants are tiny, but two already have flowers.  Zinnia seeds are sprouting all over.  They have a ways to go.

June OMG: Continuing May OMG

I spent most of the month fighting with thread tension issues, which slowed this down quite a bit.  I didn't make my May goal of finishing the quilt.  However, over Memorial Day weekend, I worked out that my thread setup was contributing to the problem.  Addressing that stopped the thread from winding around my needle.  I still had some issues - I buried twelve sets of threads in one diamond alone (that's a lot of starts and stops).  But the rest of it quilted up a lot faster.

The diamonds are done, as are the green squares.  I've got the rest of the squares to go.  So my goal this month is the same as last:  get this quilted, bound and labeled.

Sharing with:
Elm Street Quilts - June OMG

I Like Thursday: Three Day Weekend

Three day weekend.  Woot!  And is it really June already??  How can that be?  Regardless, it's Thursday today - time to link up with LeeAnna's buddies to share the bright spots of the week at I Like Thursday. 

I met up with my sister on Sunday before it got too hot.  Leverett pond was hopping!  Some nice guy in a pickup kindly moved how he was parked, which gave just enough room for my sister and I to squeeze in.  Yay!  So we were able to park right near the launch instead of down and around the corner.

I love the water, the rocks, the trees.  So much green and blue and brown.  A bit of a breeze and lots of sun.  It was lovely.  We had a great time.