I Used to Love January, even February...

Hello, hello, friends. It's been a week of ups and downs, hasn't it. Downers: news is appalling, it's terrible cold, I had a post-flu doctor appointment. And on the quilt front--yeesh. Good news is I got the deck door open almost two weeks after the storm. Mo was so happy. He rolled in the snow and did zoomies. then had a happy nap, warming his butt on the radiator while we wait for the spa van.

He's also slowly accepting his bed moved away from the frigid window wall in the bedroom/

January is when I start my indoor bulb garden. First the paperwhites, around Jan 15. New varieties, not real pleased. 

Nice large firm bulbs, but...? zzzzzz....no action.

Choosing the containers. 

I know I'll regret the tureen, but I ve wanted to try it for years. If the bulbs grow they'll flop over badly.

 

A pretty little red transferware bowl, also a floppy in waiting.

The Costco glass bulb vase and scary prongs insert should be more stable. And a lavender glass canning jar, dump dug by my dad.

So far, three weeks later.

Only a couple bulbs are growing and show buds. Still, I'm thrilled to see that.

Then the other day I finally planted the poor sad amaryllis bulbs.

You may recall I usually have the ammies grow outdoors til November--fed, watered, nurtured with love, before a couple months of darkened dry rest. But last summer, mid-July I rescued them from the brick repair men, so destructive. The bulbs are small and dry, but worth a try. This would have been Big Red's 9th year.

Nothing happeningg yet.

......

Grey Baskets:

Let's choose a border. [my floor is not dirty, just weathered, bleached.]

aqua seaweed

red and blue confetti dots

Deep slate grey ribbons

Which one do you think I 'll use? (took me three weeks to decide, hahah). 

The pansies will be the backing probably.

.......................................................

And then Noah's Ark. One great big hassle and disappointment. It oughta go in Julierose's bad project time out closet for a few years.

1- Too big. [1-A wrong color]

2-The plaid fabrics are too old [recycled shirts] and too flimsy. My temperamental machine chews the old plaids up and spits them out. What a job, not fun at all.

3-the doves are too pale. 

4-But the worst part is the horizontal top border's background fabric is too dark. What was I thinking? It makes  the quilt too vertical yet top heavy, a glaring mistake. Must be picked out [remember how hard it was to sew the plaids!) and redone.

IThe quilt also needs, if possible, to be widened, so it is not a long rectangle. Maybe sawtooth edges? A scrappy strips border? I should be enjoying the challenge but instead am just bored, frustrated, discouraged. Mo agrees, he hates it. lol. But is lured into the sewing room with TJ turkey meatballs anyway.

And it's gonna snow again tomorrow, plus wind chills in sub-zeros range, like -15*F. So strange--I have always loved winter. But this cold, this year? Nope.

Hope you all have a warm cozy weekend! Or a cool sunny weekend of you're one of the lucky southern hemi folks.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach....