Monday, March 13, 2023

Time flies when you're having fun...

Well, that is the way the saying goes...

In my case, fun or work, time seems to take off on its own. I keep thinking, that one of these days, I'll be going out the door, and meet myself coming in, and not be able to tell which is the real me!


 My "ZOOM" quilt is still getting a bit of attention.
At this point, I am working on quilting the blue inner border.
I used thinsulate #80, which is rather puffy and a bit difficult to get small stitches. though I usually would quilt this in the ditch, I decided to try quilting it on the diagonal, thinking I might go in both directions, but after doing a few rows, decided I would rather have it puffy, and probably that much quilting is enough to hold it together. It is quite cozy to sit under while working, and I ended up changing the direction of the lines in a few places, so all the quilting wouldn't be pointing in just one direction.


The border quilting is taking some time, and I probably should have done something simpler, as it really doesn't show up on the floral print.

Looking through all the "gifted" fabric for making a backing,  I was amazed to see so many large amounts ... I'm talking meters of fabrics ... with maybe one ten-inch corner cut out, and the rest just jumbled up in a pile. At the speed I work, it will take several lifetimes to use half of it! Yet, throwing it out does not seem an option ... which is probably why I was "gifted" it in the first place.

I thought as I got older, I would have more time for sitting around and quilting, but somehow that is not the case.  Four days a week, I am at the preschool, helping the art teacher (preparing for and cleaning up after) her after-school classes ... as well as working with the kids and her classroom activities. I usually don't get home until after 5pm, and turn in early. (can't sit on the train in rush hour

Monday mornings I still deliver onigiri to the homeless in Shibuya, but for a few weeks without my car, I began bringing the bags home by train, and then delivering them, taking the first train out in the morning. That was a lot of walking, and the bags are heavy. Since I am back singing in the church choir, I also had an extra bag with my music to carry, and wished to shop on the way home from the station, rather than walk there and back another time. 

Even when my car returned home, I thought it might save time and gas to bring those onigiri home on Sundays. For the last few weeks, my back has begun to protest, and a pinched nerve in my right hip is getting more attention than I would wish for. The only place to find any relief is on the heated toilet seat, not the place to do quilting...

Meanwhile, the zoom quilt gets attention while zooming three times a week for morning meetups,  noon  and evening sessions plus women's conference workshops, gatherings with kids, scout stuff beyond our monthly pack meeting, to the point I have to post stickers on my laptop for reminders ... hoping I can remember what day it is, and keep my grandfather clock wound up so the bonging will remind me of the time. (It just now reminded me that it is time to get going)

Maybe tonight, after my zooming, I can get a bit caught up on what my blogging friends are up to!

Thursday, January 5, 2023

Starting a new year

This year started with a lot of zooming. On the first, I hurried home from church for a zoom gathering with my kids ... spread from the east coast to the west coast of the states, and across the pond to Japan.

On Monday the zooming was with church friends, spread from Malaysia to the eastern US, and Tuesday it was with cousins and nieces and nephews living in the states. While viewing the screens of squares and faces, I was reminded  of a nine-patch. I had been marking and cutting squares of a number of scraps, and sitting right at my right side were two tins of two-inch squares, so full of pieces that the lids wouldn't go on. I think Mr. Zoom was calling out for me to fix the problem,  so I began arranging and sewing blocks while zooming. Wednesday and Friday added more finishes.

I think usually, nine-patches have the darker squares in the center and corners. I began with the alternate setting, and when I laid them  out, I liked the results. making contrasting blocks would give a checkerboard effect, but I like the way this looks,

I have hardly made a dent in the number of blocks, still in those tins. I do have a few that probably would not work in a 9-patch, but might be nice set with solids in a border. I think that I will wait before sewing these all together in order to balance the colors.

Years ago, I gave up on new year's resolutions, and began picking a focus year for the year. Last year was "purpose", and I was wondering what to choose for this year, when the word chose me instead. Jan1st, as I headed off to church, a neighbor shouted out "Happy new year" in english, and as I was rushing home for the zoom date, another neighbor stopped while passing by on his bike, to give me a high-five and wishes in english. The overflowing of love from family and friends calls out for gratitude, which will be a fine focus for this year.


Cleaning out the dust bunnies from under the eves at the head of my futon, I made room for the bunnies and a few owls to enjoy the new year and the reminder they bring of friends past and present and happy events.


I hope my blogging friends will also enjoy a year full of happiness and gratitude.