An Update of Sorts

So for the past few weeks I've delved heavily into two main things...sewing quilt tops and watching Once Upon a Time. That's right, this is my confessional. It's also a bit of an excuse to why I've not been on here a lot recently. I've been highly enjoying the immediate gratification of completing a quilt top. I've also been binge watching the 2.5 seasons of Once.. It all started with a quote I found that I thought was hilarious and managed to sent it to a friend that's a "Oncer" without knowing it. Before long she struck a bargain that if I watch Once with her, she'll watch BBC Sherlock with me. And by "watch" I/we really mean addict and or convert the other to a new fandom as it were. So needless to say we now both fully enjoy both shows. Flaws and all. Once usually isn't something that I'd watch necessarily, but it has grown on me exponentially.  (I partially blame their filming locations of Vancouver BC with it's familiar woods..so when watching the characters run through the woods, it's like watching my childhood and its imagination run rampant on the screen.. Which I do enjoy.)

Besides all the sewing and tv watching.. I've been up to:

-Baking! and baking a lot.. 3 plus dozen cookies, bread and quinoa.

 -Writing intermittently. Not as much as I'd like, but enough were I haven't fully stopped. I think I suffer from what I'd like to call "Brain Block" sort of like "Writer's Block" but on a more general level of the brain periodically. Basically, that's my fancy round about way of saying that after expelling a lot of creativity my brain goes dormant for a while and I have to wait for the creative pressure in it to build up again for the next spurt.

-(I want to say sewing again, just because I've been doing a lot of it lately.)

-Designing! Yes, I know, it's amazing, I can still design things. I've designed...oh, say...2-3-4? quilt tops and am in the process of designing a maze one for one of the ladies in my quilting group because her grandson LOVES mazes and she'd like to make him one. (Also, because I love designing them and have already designed a maze top, so doing a second/third is fun for me) And, I'm designing some suggestions for a former teacher and dear friend's yard. This has me a little stumped simply because I've gotten used to doing much larger non-residential projects. So it has been interesting for me. But I do like it.

-And lastly, having really, really, weird dreams. Usually I have no dreams for a few weeks and then very vivid surrealistic dreams for a few weeks. It's like my brain goes on hiatus for a bit between seasons.  As of late, my dreams have involved slightly random British celebrities, every day circumstances, and the most ridiculous of scenarios. Most of which I find rather amusing when I wake up.


So to wrap up this update-ish thing, I shall leave you with some photographs of my some of my most recent work:



A rainbow top that started with wonky log cabin blocks. I'm thinking of adding to it before the sewing starts.

Halloween table runner. Yes, I know, it's March now, but I figured if I start it now it will be ready in time for Halloween.

My "little" "helper" 

Halloween lap blanket. Also, haven't decided if I'm going to add a boarder to this one or not.

This is one that I've been working on for a long time. I designed the pattern myself. The only "real" pattern to it is the black and white triangles and then the bits in between are meant to be filled with scraps in the colors of your choosing. For me, I picked my most loved three: Purple, Blue and Green.

These are "mug rugs" made from scraps from one quilt I made and donated to Project Linus. These were a gift to the best friend as her favorite colors are earth tones and greens. This is also my first machine quilting job ever.  It was really fun to experiment with that.

A few random things from this week so far:

-I was hoping on having pictures of a place I used to frequent as a child posted today. Due to rain and wind, my wool socks and big rubber boots weren't enough to get me across the giant field to my old stomping ground. It has literally been rain checked till hopefully next week or whenever the rain lets up.

-Since I have been out of school, well before that really, I've been wanting to do more donating and volunteer work. A local group of a nation wide project, Project Linus, has taken me in and allowed me to help them organize and help make blankets.  They impact so many, and its just simply wonderful working with these ladies and people. The Washington Chapter Listings are found here and the local blog is found here.

-I've been sewing and quilting a lot this week and it shall continue at an accelerated pace throughout this weekend. I have two blankets to quilt for Linus, four quilts to tie for Linus, creatures to make, I'd like to finish my current embroidery, a magnet to make for the fridge (random I know: one side says "Hangry" and the other side "FULL"), and start quilting the small table topper I sandwiched this last Tuesday. I know I won't get through all of these by Monday or Wednesday, but I'm Sooooo going to try. Well, if my figures and sewing machine don't give out on me.

-I bought a sewing machine online! Oooo, I know. I have my mother's sewing machine that I use and it is wonderful. The one I ordered was on sale and it's one of those mini 'portable' Singer sewing machines. Whenever I move or have a project on the go, I think it will help. I do have an amazing vintage Singer sewing machine from 1914 that I adore. The motor still works but I haven't used it to sew anything.

-I was informed today that my grandfather and honorary grandmother think that "my ex must not like girls because otherwise it just doesn't make sense." Which I think is hilarious and sweet of them. I don't think he is, but if he is, good for him. I know my honorary grandmother really liked him and I think the whole ordeal is just still really shocking to her. She told me many times that he reminded her of her late husband and I just hope that it's not bringing up anything too troubling for her.

-I got to see "my little brother" this week. He came to see me on his day off. It was very sweet of him. Most people don't ever come to see me.

-I looked at apartment listings with my future roomie. She may make an appearance later, but she's pretty shy.

Yes, I believe that's mostly it.

I hope you have a wonderful Friday and weekend if I don't get around to posting anything this weekend on account of all the sewing.