Get moving

 I realized the other day that I've been sitting still, waiting for the end of the world and maybe it's not going to happen that way.  Or, based on the stock market's reaction to the lunacy, maybe it will.  But, either way, I need to keep us ready.  And, that means keeping up with doctor's appointments and having the warranty work done on the car and knocking out that project at work.  And, most importantly, I have to stop reading the news and get on living.  

But, I also have three quilts in the works for distraction.  And, it's working for me fine.  

We needed a little bit of an adventure this weekend, so on Saturday, we drove to the suburbs and had lunch in a cute little old-fashioned diner.  It feels weird to call something from the 80's old fashioned, but it is.  The colors, the menu, the smell of maple syrup and coffee.  Even though it was lunch, we both had breakfast.  I ate as much French toast with eggs and sausage as I could manage and still left a half a slice on the plate.  It was fun and kitschy and good food with a waitress that had been doing that a really long time and knew just how to handle every table and create a relaxed and fun atmosphere.  Then a quick trip to a Goodwill we don't visit often for some things we didn't need, didn't know we needed and/or probably could have done without...but Rob looked really good in that red and green plaid flannel shirt this weekend,  Reelly good.  

I had a bunch of wedding ring blocks that were nearly ready and I finished them on Saturday and laid the blocks out.  And, yes, I realize how dangerous it is to make a black anniversary quilt.  I think our relationship is strong enough to stand up to a little quilt lore.  

After that, I finished 12 more blocks, but when I went to lay them out, I had made an error on 6 of them.  Fortunately, if I make the corresponding error on another 6, it will negate my original error, and you know what a negated error is?  Not an error at all.  12 more blocks to go, but for them, I need additional wedges, and for additional wedges, I needed more joining squares, so I cut them and got started on that.  I've made significant progress, but there's all that pinning and pinning and pinning.  

You're wondering what my error was, right?  See how there's a convex curve on the left side and a concave curve on the right?  On two rows, those will be reversed...but since I'm going to add a wedge to all those concave curves and make them convex before I assemble the rows, you'll never even know.  

I was asked about the kit I bought at the Georgetown quilt show.  This is the picture.  I was fascinated.  The seller from thecottoncupboard.com (I have no affiliation) said her son picked the fabrics for this one.  They're all from a line by Seth Apter.  The prints are much too large and abstract for the small pieces, giving it this quilt a slightly insane look that I love.  

This is the first block.  They're a wonky 9 patch, made of what the pattern calls log cabin blocks, but they're not really.  When I made this block, I made the sections in tandem, but I found that it's easier to cut out all 8 blocks and make 8 of each section, then assemble them.  

This is the pattern.  How do people pick fabrics to make something that looks like this look like that?  That's part of the art of quilting that I missed out on...but I can draft a block like nobody's business and that's become a lost art.  

And, the third quilt is a little leader/ender.  Years ago, I was making a feathered star quilt.  When I'd do business travel, I'd go to quilt shops across whatever state I was in and gather 4-6 fat quarters and I'd do the same at quilt shows, then I'd make a feathered star block out of them to commemorate the event.  I was supposed to be able to remember where each fabric came from (hahahahahahahahha!)  That quilt is assembled and awaiting quilting but I still pick up little collections of fabrics at quilt shows and like to make a small one block quilt from them.  These are from the Georgetown Quilt and Stitchery show 2022 (I already made the quilt for 2023).  I ran out of white and had to add a fabric from my stash to fill in those last 8 squares.  Is okay.  I always seem to end up adding a little something.  I pick the fabrics, then I find the block.  I've already found the block for the 2021 quilt, too.  These are just a little bit of fun to commemorate a a good day.  

Yesterday, it was cold so I cooked instead of working in the yard.  From left to right, a frittata.  I make a frittata every Sunday and it feeds three men breakfast all week (me, Rob, and his co-worker).  Next is a chicken and pasta casserole that I can't wait to taste.  An original recipe.  There's a pan of cornbread above and to the right are a bowl of chili, because it was cold and Rob asked for it.  And a bowl of sloppy Joe.  We were in the store and saw this new sloppy Joe mix and even though it was unreasonably expensive for what it represented, it looked fun.  So, tonight we're having sloppy Joe, which I haven't made since Sydney lived here.  

This clematis bloomed.  This was in one of those boxes of tubers that you can get at a garden center.  There were two kinds in the box.  I found it at my Mom's last year, when she was passing and asked if I could have it.  I brought it home.  One was too far gone, but this one came up and last year, it put on roots and this year, it's leapt out of the pot and already put out a bloom.  I need to find it a permanent home in the ground.  

I don't have anything witty or clever to say about politics.  I watch the people in my life going on about their day, planning for the future, and I realize I have to move forward with them or risk getting left behind.  But, in my head, there's a klaxon sounding; run/hide, run/hide, run/hide.   I can barely move and all I want to do is be self-indulgent and eat all the cake and ice cream and Doritos I can get my hands on.  I am filled with barely suppressed anger and grief over the future I built for me and Rob.  And, I'm having trouble changing my ideas about what that future looks like so I can start preparing for that.  

be well!  

Lane