Its NOT snow today

Saturday there was 6 inches of fresh snow on the ground fortunately it was gone by mid afternoon, today it is raining.  I was sitting in the study with my cup of coffee enjoying the quiet and kept thinking at least its not snow.  I could sit and gaze out the window all day then I got to thinking about my last post and the quote  My goal is no longer to get more done, but rather to have less to do. by Francei  Jay  Gazing out the window is definitely doing less but at the end of the day I always run back through my head about what I did accomplish and some days I feel like the day was wasted if too many hours were spent on the internet or television.  The doing less part to me means not joining any new organizations because I have always believed that membership has responsibilities which means doing committee work and holding office.  I'm in enough things and am doing my part.  As for the getting more done I still need to set small goals like I have to finish machine quilting 5 more hexes before I make lunch.  The doing less part better enhance not interfere with creative time.
Slow progress on machine quilting the hexes and boxes.  So far I'm just quilting parallel to the seams and want do something different in the light ring.  Still thinking.  Still raining a good day for creative endeavors.  Carpe diem Seize the rest of the day --Ann--

enjoy the day

 Last week was one of those weeks that was just ordinary life, doing this and that and none of it especially blog worthy. You know tidying up after company, sweeping up dog hair which lead to scrubbing the floor.  I did finish the second shawl which is still not blocked but then I haven't remade all the beds either from company to spread out the blocking tiles, and sometimes things just need to get in order before I can work on one of my projects.  The 3rd shawl has been started I have to do something while hubby is changing channels in the evening, belated birthday socks for daughter are in progress and bday socks for son with the June birthday are just getting started. There were some beautiful sunny days so some beverages were consumed on the deck the vitamin d on my skin felt so good and I didn't overdo it and turn pink.  A meeting here and a meeting there and a few walks.... just life.  I saw a wonderful quote on social media My goal is no longer to get more done, but rather to have less to do. by Francei  Jay isn't that wonderful enjoy the day.  --Ann--

Ta da da done

 Another one done!  I free motion quilted the hooks and loops, that sounds like generic velcro, in the large light triangles.  I just did a smaller triangle inside each of the flying geese triangles and nothing in the small light triangles and a fraction of the stitches from the previous quilt of all the same size triangles.  Thats a lot of triangles.
Our snow piles are rapidly decreasing, our sump pumps are running full force and some of those are being replaced with more powerful units.  Its spring on the prairie with the unfurling of the sump hose --Ann--

Its blocked

 Finished and blocked and I used all 18 squares of blocking squares I wish the squares had a grid marked to make sure it is symmetrical. I measured here and there so I think its good.

Its finished in time for DD birthday and she is off on a great adventure so she will get it when she returns.  I only had one stamp in my passport when I was her age, she has at least ten but then I was married and had one boy and another on the way.  Would I have done things differently?  Probably not but I never pass up the opportunity to travel now .  Happy Birthday Darling Daughter. --Mom--
link to the quilt

a little green

 A little green grass is peaking out from the snow as it shrinks away.  I don't remember any green before the last snow.  Maybe a good showing of grass will give warmer days a reason to stay.  Hubby watched golf on tv this weekend.  He made the comment that the Masters tournament means spring is here.  The greens of the golf course were a welcome diversion from our snow and the occassional panning of the cameras to the bridge and flowers released more than one sigh from me. Its spring at Augusta.  In past years the singing cardinals have sent me to the window in search of the illusive little bird usually perched high in the tree but this year the windows were closed tight, the singing was defiantly coming from the tv.  It was a good time to knit.  A little green in the sweater and just a few more rows and I'll be done.   --Ann--

TaDaDa Done

 My big finish yesterday was the binding on this quilt. I try to remember to reset the stitch counter on my Sweet 16 machine with each quilt, this one has 108,023 stitches in the machine quilting. I wonder how many miles of thread I have gone through?
I put the next quilt to be quilted on the design wall and looked at it for awhile, then I looked at all my books of quilting designs, with the light triangles making a large square I need a design to fill that space.  No great ideas so I laid out the next quilt on the floor, the hexagons, nothing popped into my head for that one.  Look at the books again.

Lay out the third quilt that might be good for an all over quilting design but that also had large light blocks with the alternating double 4 patches.   How do I quilt it / them to enhance the piecing????? Knit a few rows and do a little sketching on graph paper.    another snow day to think about it
--Ann--

Thunder Snow

 Lightening in the early morning hours woke me last night followed by thunder and it is still thundering as it snows.  The lightening flashes are not so bright now but thunder and snow and ice pellets,  just another April snowstorm in South Dakota.  The snow is just falling at present but wait until later and the wind churns things around.  My pantry and fridge  were well stocked yesterday.
I have binding to sew and quilts to quilt and knitting to knit and books to read and coffee to drink and wine to sip.  Staying warm and safe travels to anyone on the road  --Ann--

Machine quilting

 One afternoon last week was spent pin basting quilt tops, 4 ready to machine quilt.  I'm just stitching an arc in each triangle to enhance the piecing with a variegated thread.  I tried so hard not to have two of the same fabrics next to each other in the arranging and rearranging process but as I have quilted I have found many many twins next to each other in the small triangles.  The only way to avoid that would have been to place each half square triangle on the design wall before sewing anything together and the thought of keeping all that straight is just too much to think about and what's the fun of that??  Its more fun too look for twins and triplets and near misses across the quilt.  There is another storm brewing in the upper midwest and lots of machine quilting to do.  --Ann--

Reading list #1 2019

1. The Great Alone by Krisen Hannah for book club about homesteading in Alaska in 1974
2. Pasta, Pinot and Murder by Jamie Lee Scott
3. The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce about a music shop owner and how he always finds the right music that customer needs to listen to and all his records are vinyl in a changing world. He knows all genres of music.  There is even a list of music in the back of the book of his recommendations. I admit I’m not very good at really listening to music.
4. Breaking Point by C.J. Box book 13
5. Evening Class by Maeve Binchy a bunch of Irish people take an evening class to learn Italian. Each chapter is about one of the characters. Maeve Binchy is a master at creating interesting characters.
6. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee I never tire of this book
7. A Land More Kind Than Home  by Wiley Cash for book club always be skeptical when the reviews compare it to To Kill a Mockingbird. There was no comparison except that the story takes place in the Deep South and the names of the kids start with S and J.
8. News of the World by Paulette Jiles takes place in Texas in 1800’s retired soldier who was played by Sam Elliot in my head was delivering a 10 year old girl who had lived   with Kiowa Indians for four years to long lost relatives. He earned his living by reading his collection of newspapers to a paying audience.
9. A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline about Christina of Christina’s World painted be Andrew Wyeth. A work of fiction but based on real people, places and events. I saw the painting at the the museum of modern art in New York.
10. Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal  the story takes place in Minnesota and South Dakota about a foodie and her catering business.
11. A Flair for Beignets by Deborah Garner murder mystery 
12. Shopping, Seduction & Mr. Selfridge by Lindy Woodhead biography of Harry Selfridge some parts were just like the PBS series.
13. The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy by Rachel Joyce companion book to The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry Queenie tells her story.
14. Stone Cold by C.J. Box book 14
15. With You Always by Jody Hedlund for bookclub  NYC in 1857, its a love story, and sisters,  western expansion, immigrants, trains and faith.
16. Endangered by C.J. Box book 15

Many happy hours and coffee hours have been spent reading this winter and many more as spring timidly tries to establish her presence.  --Ann--

Blocked and dry

April is fooling us again fresh snow yesterday and its still here.
No winter lasts forever, and no spring skips a turn.  Hal Borland
I'm so glad I bought 2 boxes of the blocking tiles, there are 9 in a box and I used 12 for this. Nine square feet of blocking tiles just isn't enough.  I'm very pleased with it  I should reblock all my sweaters the right way.  Still waiting for spring.  --Ann--

1st wrap

First wrap for the wedding is bound off now to block it.  I ordered blocking matts which were on sale that magic word SALE so I'm going to block it properly.  A little spa like soak, then a gentle massage to release  all the fluids,  followed by some stretching and alignment then some acupuncture to keep everything in place.  --Ann--
the Jackrabbits got beat Friday night