Busy Work

Hi everyone, on this warm[ish] sunny day. I suppose I must admit that spring is here, I love winter and this year it passed so quickly---no snow! No snow days!

I'm back to making my To Do lists that I rely on for being productive. "Some people" have told me lists are a ridiculous thing: that "if you need a list to remember what you have to do each day, you're even stupider than I thought" attitude. But I find it very helpful, especially in such difficult times, to make a list at night for the following day. I often now wake up in a panic, with no clue what day it is or what time it is even. My lists ground me.

I have begun writing in this beautiful Quilting Diary, a gift from my brother and SIL. For a year or so I thought it too pretty to use.

I considered writing a daily diary of these crisis times, but instead  have incorporated those notations into my ongoing work. More interesting!

A pasted in page for Blackbirds:

It's stored right under my monitor so I don't forget about it. I reorganized the book format to be perpetual, so I can add info each year and compare.

I'm trying to do a spring cleaning chore each day [or often]--dust high shelves, sort out my makeup bin or the junk drawer, roll up saved, now banned, plastic bags into tiny twists for doggy pickup, etc. Little things made nice again. Nothing big or pain inducing.

I cook most days, or maybe do some project baking, like oatmeal cookies.

And I make a point of spending time in my craft room doing something, anything, again, even if small. I started by sorting and re-binning my blue and neutral fabrics. I am not ever going to finish the blue and white Schoolgirl Album project---why are the fabrics set out and waiting in silent judgement? Hideous remains on my cutting table; Cheri Payne Christmas quilt fabrics got put away, I am much too sad to make it.

I made masks for friends and family. I have no elastic, using hair ties. And some days I sit mindlessly cutting 2 1/2" squares

for this future quilt:

I am not a scrap saver but for the past year or so I've been putting small pretty bits of fabric in a dish on my desk. Now is their moment.

I love love love that the name of the quilt. I have two cheddar prints or a chrome yellow to choose from, if and when I get going actually sewing. [no rush].

My version will look scrappier.

Why did I fall for this quilt, besides its classic style? I just love the folky motifs of the border, Moons and Stars and Flowers. Just love. Plus the name of course. The bad news is that it goes together in the same diagonal method as Blue Baskets which gave me such fits.

This old book, 1990s , was well worth the used book price of 4.oo/ free shipping/ Amazon used books. I'd love to make a wool version of the Fall leaves and the Basket is so sweet.The Bittersweet vines are hemp string, couched onto the design, which I love because I'd never embroider that much.

We will see another Fall, won't we? I would add acorns.

I drew up a pattern for a country look/ farmhouse Churndash, for my red Horseshoes fabric. It will go with nothing in my house, but it'll be happy. [if not soon]

And I did the pattern for the baby quilt that is prominently NEXT on my work list. The baby has arrived and her new bedroom unexpectedly will need a quilt soon, as the virus caused her family to change plans.

The green rectangle should be two differing squares, a mistake. This is why I make a graph pattern and a try out block.

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Mo of course still must be walked. We avoid everyone and keep far distances.

We walked to our beach access ramp, where his bench is. Mo was puzzled as to why we couldn't sit down for a treat and a bit of fresh air.

He has done that almost daily for his entire six years. But no.  He knows the drinking fountain [outdoor shower for washing off sand for humans] is turned off in the winter. I didn't check if it is turned on again now for spring.

 He was sad.

The shadblow is blooming. I miss seeing the marshes turning green and the billows of the pink volunteer apple trees and the foamy white white shadblow on its margins.

Hope you all are coping. Make a list, do small chores, call a friend. Be kind.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach......

two years ago: April