Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Crumbs and strings and other things

Hello all! Every time I log in to Blogger, something in it has changed. Anyone else notice this? I still want the spellcheck button back, and the save button needs to be better, but overall I'm getting used to it.  How about you?

Life here continues to be quite hectic. There are people working here, and sometimes there are very loud noises. And there is apparently going to be quite a lot of weather. If you're reading this on Tuesday, then chances are it's raining really hard here, with lots of wind. This is still pretty new to us, and a kind neighbor gave us some advice about battening down our hatches, so we've removed the hanging plants, stacked the chairs on the deck and bungeed them to the railing, and moved things that could blow around. I'm a little worried about the wind because we have so many trees, but I have strong hopes that it will all be okay.

I have been planning my classes for the next semester, which unbelievably starts in three weeks, and I've been working on finishing one of the unfinished tops I pulled out earlier this summer. I've been slowed down by the flying geese, but I am very, very close. So close that I've started thinking about what to do with the scraps. Here's one thing I'm doing:


String blocks! I have tons of strings and crumbs in these fabrics, so I'm making both into blocks. The fabrics from this quilt go together so nicely that it seems a shame to just mix them all together with other fabrics. And I really don't want to create more scraps that will just sit there. They never go away, do they? So much better to make some blocks and figure out a way to use the scraps up.

As I said, I'm very close to finishing this:


Those are all the quilt parts, just ready to add to the already-finished center. But first, I have to finish those annoying flying geese!  Nothing fits until they're finished.

Once you learn an easier way to do something, it's hard to go back to the old way. It's like washing dishes once you have a dishwasher, or sawing wood by hand instead of using a circular saw. Which is the long way of saying that all of these need to be trimmed:


Trimming these is such a chore! I know I could be more careful and make it easier on myself, but that seems counter-productive because I'll have to measure them anyway. After these geese are trimmed, I'll need 14 more, and then the whole thing should go together really fast.  I have high hopes of having this done by the end of the week, so cross your fingers!

The only other thing I've sewn lately has been more (expletive deleted) masks:


My sister also works at a university, and she needs masks for going back and interacting with students.  I also made a few more for myself using directions that Lisa gave me, and they turned out great, but my sister wanted this kind. I figure that I'll need two per class day, because I expect them to get damp during class, so I plan to have a total of 10 of them just for school. The school is providing us with some stretchy knit masks, but honestly, I don't trust those ones. Too thin, and they cling to my mouth. I feel safer with mine, and the way Lisa makes them mean they have more "talking space," if that makes any sense.

This whole mask thing makes me crazy, and I'm feeling the "corona coaster" heading downward again, so let me just show you this:


Look at those talons! This is a picture my daughter took of one of a pair of birds that keeps visiting her deck. Turns out they are juvenile Cooper's Hawks, which might be my favorite bird. And now my tiny granddaughter can say "hawk!" Do you think we might have a new birder on our hands?

Anyway, I'll be working on finishing that quilt, at least until the power goes out from the storm, and I seriously plan to get it done this week. I hope that all of you who are also in the path of the storm stay safe and that it just kind of passes over everyone without too much damage. Or at least that the power stays on!

Sharing at Midweek Makers and Quilting is More Fun than Housework.

11 comments:

piecefulwendy said...

Hope you get through the storm safely. Sounds like a good day to stay indoors and sew! Cooper's hawks are amazing birds. We have video, taken by our birder daughter years ago, of a Cooper's attacking another bird. They have serious talons and beaks!

Libby in TN said...

In general, I think the daily changes in Blogger are improvements. I agree with you about the save button. The advantage of "lots" of trees is they hold each other up in a storm. Nevertheless, I hope the storm misses you. Kaleidoscope is going to be beautiful.

MissPat said...

Looking at the NOAA map, it looks like you're currently in the thick of it. Hope the winds and rain aren't to bad, that if you loose power, it won't be for long, and that there are no tornado warnings for your area. No one needs any more stress this year.
Pat

Preeti said...

No. Not me. I switch back to the Legacy Blogger to complete my post and publish it. May be I need a new computer. Love your solids project. Looks like a BOM project. I have never made string blocks. May be I should give it a try. Are you using the phone book or muslin? I am making flying geese units now for a Squirrel Project, but not enjoying them. Also there will be a ton of HSTs to deal with after the hurly burly is done.
Bleeping Masks are the new normal. The hawk is so regal!!! Praying for power - you can take that in a few different ways :-) Stay safe, dear friend.

Quiltdivajulie said...

To Preeti - I did have to buy a new computer. The OS on my old one didn't work with several updated online features including PayPal from some websites - when the new Blogger wouldn't work, that meant I could procrastinate no longer. The new computer works GREAT! To Mari - so far I like the changes that are happening with the new blogger. I never used their spell check so its absence doesn't bother me. GREAT photo of the Cooper hawk (we have some here and they are elegant). Love that your granddaughter knows the word AND the bird.

Bernie Kringel said...

HI Mari:

Love the solid string blocks - a whole quilt of those would be so pretty.
Also love the in process pic of the other quilt.
I am missing sewing - not a ton but a little. I am distracted by the girls but it is strange not to have any project to work on.
Good luck with the storm. I was reading about it and it seems to be a doozy.

Sara said...

Love those quilt parts and it will be stunning based on the pattern hanging there. Wow!! I'm with you on the masks. I have a bunch partially assembled for grandkids for school, which I need to finish so I can deliver them on Saturday.

I teach online high school courses on 2 different platforms. This is my LAST year, as I've given my notice. Yesterday we were notified to expect much higher enrollment numbers due to Covid. And we were asked if we had a "max" number we would accept in each section.

Louise said...

Fun string blocks! Using up the scraps ASAP is very smart. Otherwise, they get mixed in with something else and harder to use. I also have a bad attitude about making masks, but the photo of the hawk cheered me right up :)

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

Hope you have made it through the storm, Mari! That is a beautiful color combination - very fall feeling. The strings make pretty blocks, but love all the rest, too! Are your classes online or in person? So many tough decisions being made right now in all levels of schools!

Miaismine said...

Yes, I’m also finding something different with Blogger as well. I also miss the spellcheck button! For now, I’m typing my blog in Word and pasting it onto my blog. I’m getting used to it, but I’m also trying not to stress over it. We’re also seeing rain and wind in New Mexico, but nothing like in other parts of the country. Your string blocks are gorgeous! No, scraps never go away! I believe they multiply at night when we are sleeping.  I’m so impressed with your design board quilt! I lose my points all the time – or at least if feels like it! I understand about the masks, but I thank you for wearing them. My sister works in a hospital and manages my parents’ care. I support her, but she is the brains behind the operation, so to speak. Thus far, she was exposed twice to COVID at work and, thankfully, tested negative. I want to hug everyone who wears a mask. Your fabrics are fun! I hope and pray you made it safely through the storm!

QuiltGranma said...

Beautiful quilt blocks, and beautiful hawk!
Thank you for sharing!