Bag of Little Quilt Blocks

 

And just like that, the project of making all those half square triangles from Cake Mix 3 is finished.  The bag is typical gift bag size, not tiny but not big either.  You know the size I mean.  Seven hundred and fifty-six little squares.  And I have to admit that right now I'm wondering what I was thinking.  It's ok.  I'll start doing some research on quilt patterns and one day I'll think of all those little squares as riches.

I wonder how long it will be before I stop finding those little triangle snippets from trimming the squares.  They have tended to stick on my socks and turn up here and there.

There was snow last night and the grands have a snow day today.  A real snow day, no virtual learning.  Many of the city streets are icy, and driving is treacherous on hills.  Cincinnati has lots of hills.  There is just enough snow to cover the grass but the temperature turned cold.

Tee Shirt Quilt

 You would think that I'd have lots to say post-inauguration, but I guess I've felt like I have nothing to say.

A year ago I was working on a tee shirt quilt that I finished during the summer.  I've never shown it here because I wasn't sure that the young woman had been gifted it yet.  Now that I know that she has, we can take a look.

It was double sided - here is the front

And here is the back

The recipient is a very accomplished young lady.

Today I packed away my Christmas tree, the living room is back to normal.  I enjoy the tree so much, and after I pack away the ornaments I just keep it lighted for awhile.

Does anyone else count back the days to the solstice and then back from there to see the date when we had about the same amount of daylight as today?  Maybe just me.  November 15, if you want to know.

Drivers License

 

That happy face belongs to my grand girl Nora, who has a drivers license in her hand.  In Ohio, a temporary permit can be had at 15 1/2, the license at age 16, with some restrictions.

It's been a long past few days.  I just can't stay away from the news.  I am amazed at the things the people being arrested had posted on social media.  Didn't they understand that was not a good idea?

I have twenty little bags of half square triangles.  Soon the layer cake colors will start repeating.  By the time I get to forty-two I will be very tired of this project.

I have been working with a sewing machine foot pedal repair project.  The repair itself doesn't look bad but now the foot pedal isn't working.  Did I get some super glue somewhere it wasn't supposed to be?

Maybe today, perhaps, I'll start taking ornaments off the tree.  Packing them away in their little boxes.  Yesterday was a warm-ish day and I took the lights off the porch railing.  Put the green light back into the porch light for coronavirus family support.  Some how I had hoped that, maybe, when this switch-out came that the death and case count might be lower.

The person in charge of the vaccine roll-out in Kentucky is the same man who was in charge of the Ohio River Ohio/Kentucky bridge repair.  He got that project finished in time.  How can I not be hopeful?

Too Much Fabric?

 

Ok, I am buying way too much fabric lately.  But it was the end of bolt sale and is this not the cutest ever?  Hope you can see the little snowman faces.  I'm going to make a mask for Nora this very day, to wear to school (starting in person again) or to her Kroger job.

Of course, there was 2 1/3 yards of fabric left on the bolt and the mask will take only a little piece of that.  I think that part of my fabric buying problem is that I have budget money left since I'm eating at home and not going anywhere.  And I DO want to support my little local quilt shop, want it to still be there when all this is over.

Grrrr, I'm trying to download an ebook that I need for committee work.  I've been putting it off, bought it several weeks ago.  I finally called for help today, hopefully I'll be getting a call back.  This is why, of course, that I've put it off, on some level I knew it wouldn't be easy.

If you think I'm avoiding talking today about the news, yes, I am.  I don't even know what to say.

Vegetable Soup and Politics

 

I did emerge from my fog of reading news and facebook and more news to make some vegetable soup.  With all the characters that should be there.  Really yummy.  Plus, four loaves of banana bread with the bananas that have been hanging around since Christmas.

I sometimes ask myself why I care so much.  I've always been a news junky - guess that's why I was a journalism major.  Or maybe it's the other way around.  Plus, I've always liked the comings and goings of politics.  And I keep thinking of my grands, and the kind of world I want them to live in.  

I get my feelings hurt when one of my relatives or friends posts about the libs or the dems in derogatory fashion, like I'm not even here.  I've learned to not engage, to try to just let it go, but it hurts.  Especially when it's said in terms like I am stupid or too dumb to know what's going on.  I don't think so.

I'm not sure how I feel about the president's having his Twitter feed taken away permanently.  I understand the need for it in this moment.  But forever, I just don't know.  Lots to think about.

Squash Casserole

 

One of my New Year's goals is to make more veggie dishes.  I had really good luck over the holidays with a green bean casserole made without the soup and a sweet potato casserole made with baked sweet potatoes.

So, I was feeling really hopeful about this yellow squash casserole.  Yellow squash are one of my favorite vegetables and the recipe got good comments.

It was awful, my friends.  Way too buttery, melted butter oozing out.  I was hungry and ate my serving but won't be eating more.  

When I am teaching people to quilt I tell them that not every project will be successful and to not get discouraged.  Telling myself to apply that to cooking.

If you have a good squash casserole recipe, let me know.

Mask Project

 

You may remember that in November I was working on a mask project, making a mask every day in hopes of having a selection to put out for the neighbors around Christmas.  That kind of got derailed but not forgotten.  People still need masks.  My timeline just got moved back.

Not only did I get away from making the masks but I also gave some away.  The two above.  Christmas gifts for the grands.  Four Thanksgiving masks with turkeys.  One for me because I lost a couple.

And one to come for my nice neighbor, who scooped up a dead squirrel from in front of my house.  I do NOT deal with dead animals.  It's just a thing.  I didn't even ask, he just did it.  Just so happens that I have a enough fabric with his favorite sports team.

After that one, I'll get busy again.

Strange day today - very task-y.  No sewing.  No walking.  My goal is 5500 steps a day but every few days I need a day off (today.)  Why 5500?  My fitbit is set for 10,000 but I never get there and I was tired of feeling like a loser.  So I redid my goal to 5000 steps, which I've read works just as well.  Then, after a few months I increased it a little.  So, 5500.  But not today.  2200 so far today.

Starting Out

 

My friend and I started on a New Year's project, making blocks with Cake Mix Recipe Papers.  We were to start on New Year's Eve.  Not a surprise, she is doing well, chose a pattern according to the directions, and has several blocks completed.  Also, not a surprise, once I saw the wealth of half square triangles each sheet produced, I decided to go in a different direction.

My plan is to continue making all these little blocks - each Cake Mix Recipe sheet makes 18 - all through January, then see how I want to put them together.  I'm using a layer cake (a package of 42 10" squares) called Grunge Hits the Spot.  It was an accident that I have this particular layer cake so I'm considering it as meant to be.  There are lots of colors to pair with an off-white layer cake.

I have never been a fan of half square triangles, those little blocks in the plastic bags in the picture, primarily because I just hate to square each little block - make sure it is a perfect square.  It's kind of a fussy thing and the blocks are never square to start with.  Stitching with the papers, then tearing the paper away, brings a nice square block, no finished required.

While I'm working with this, and my other projects, I'm thinking about my goals for the year.  As you know, I'm big on goals, love thinking about what I want to, and can, accomplish.  What I want to be like at the end of the coming year.

One last year's goal I'll need to recycle - getting out of the house more, going more places, seeing more movies, concerts, trying new restaurants.  That was one big flop.

Happy New Year!

 

Happy New Year!  Wishing everyone health and the thing your heart most desires.

I'd like to share on this New Year's Day part of the poem Praise the Rain by Joy Harjo:

Praise crazy, Praise sad,

Praise the path on which we're led.

Praise the roads on earth and water.

Praise the eater and the eaten.

Praise beginnings; praise the end.

Praise the song and praise the singer.

Praise the rain;  it brings more rain.

Praise the rain;  it brings more rain.