Free Motion Frustration

I am all kinds of frustrated.  There is a free motion design that I love, but I just can't seem to quilt it.

I draw out the design, trace it with my finger, practice it, even mark the quilt top for guidance and it just turns out ugly.  I watch video after video.  In the table runner above made with four left-over blocks, that I thought for about fifteen minutes would be a nice gift, I even double quilted it to try to fix it up a bit.  That helped but it's still just not right.

I know I have a right/left thing going on in my brain, always have.  I remember well my marching band teacher's dismay that I just couldn't get the foot patterns right.  Especially since she was standing facing me.  Eventually I practiced on my own, again and again, and I got it.    Another memory:  I was in second grade doing some kind of IQ test where a picture was shown with part of a hand or foot and I had to choose whether it was the right or left.  And it was so hard, almost impossible.

I don't know whether that's what's going on here.  I am determined, though.  I will quilt an entire quilt with this design even if I have to throw it away.  If that's not enough, I'll do another one.

I know there are many other designs that I can do well, but I like THIS one.  And others like it.    

July Baby Quilt

July baby quilt.  Thanks, Joanne, for the pattern and much of the fabric.  I'm loving the orange/yellow/pink color combo.

Pattern is Yellow Brick Road by Atkinson Designs.  A baby quilt takes six fat quarters, or approximate fabric.  The pattern has several sizes, all the way to king.

I actually used my sit down quilter, so the quilting isn't my usual walking foot quilting.  I just did a meander, larger than my usual tight stippling.  My friend recommended trying prewound Superior Bottom Line bobbins with the quilter, and they work great.

Next up:  Ginny gave us fabric and pattern for a challenge.

Recycling

Ever since I've lived here, and who knows how many years before that, my small city has had twice a week trash pick-up.  Recycling optional and paid for by the customers.  

In my perfect world, there would be once a week trash pick-up and recycling.  There was always opposition, for various reasons that made little sense to me.  But this week, it came to be.  It was nice to drive up last night and see two containers at lots of houses.

I thought I would get one of the big, wheeled green containers to replace my little red tote, but that didn't happen.  I guess I need to call to request that.  It will be nice to be able to keep the recycling outside and dry.  And to be able to put in cardboard.

At the Ecovillage in Berea, one of the goals was to recycle as much as we put in the trash.  We actually tracked that, weighing the recycling and checking the dumpster, knowing how much a full dumpster weighs.  I've tried to maintain that goal since then and am usually pretty good at it.

Last night I made a Target run, hoping they would have some of the packaged fireworks that kids love.  And they did.  Smoke bombs and sparklers and pop-its and jumping jacks and cones.  My daughter went to a fireworks place and got some of the bigger things that adults love.  It should be a fun evening.

Happy July 4, everyone! 

 

Smale Park

The newest section of Cincinnati's waterfront parks is still very new, but it's already hard to imagine life without it.  Yesterday was a cool Monday, but there were still lots of people.  The Reds are out of town, so parking was so easy.  We admired the part of the parking garage marked "players only."

The outdoor foot piano is a popular feature, whether it's a toddler just dancing on the keys or an older child trying to tap out a tune.  Thanks to everyone who had the dream for this park, who helped it come into reality, and who takes care of it.

Before the park, there was lunch across the river, at The Gruff, of course.  It was the first time for patio seating for us, and that was the popular option of the day - we grabbed the last table outside but there were lots inside.  Cheese pizza.  Fries.  Vegetable soup.  No surprises there.

Aaron On Deck

These are the weeks of the baseball tournaments.  And they do go on for weeks, if the team is winning.  I've missed most of the games, but yesterday afternoon they were starting a new tournament in a small town on the Ohio River.  It was a pleasant drive, trees and river glimpses, the river was beautiful from Friday's rain, and by 4:00 the field was dry enough, just barely.

It was the second game that day for the team, the first was at a different tournament site where they finished their bracket.  The boys' baseball tournaments are so different from Nora's softball tournament, which is an intense weekend, four games, over and done.

Last night I made a big to-do list for today.  My days have been unproductive, lots of anxiety, feeling stuck.  Not how I like to be.  This is my first step out of the muck.

My first checkmark was finishing a group of blocks for my next baby quilt.  I have been doing no quilting, no sewing, and that isn't good for me.  This quilt pattern goes quickly and it's almost like a mystery quilt, stitching the blocks on faith that they will look nice together.  Not like a group of stars or triangles.

Another checkmark will be to finish planting the sale plants I've purchased.  There are only a few now to get in the ground, and the ground is moist, good for planting.  

Happy Solstice

Happy Summer Solstice, everyone.  One of my favorite days of the year!  It feels like a celebration, this lovely, long day.

And yes, I know that there is a self-started redbud tree in my flower bed.  Right next to the sidewalk, so it can't stay.

The past few days I've done some early morning weeding and planting since it's been a little less warm.  This morning I got an email from Duke Energy saying that I can expect my bill next month to be $33 higher than last month since it's been so hot.  Of course I know that mine will be more than that, since last month I didn't have the ac on at all.

New Restaurant

The big garage-door-style window is open to the street at Lucy's on Monmouth during these warm days.

And the nachos are just the way I like them.  Crisp chips with real cheese melted on top, not cheese sauce.  Jalapenos in a little dish on the side.  Sour cream - to me, that's more for show than anything else.  Tiny chunks of tomatoes.  Perfection.

For those who like to know - the beer is Cougar Bait, from Country Boy Brewing in Lexington, KY.