Finally Finished

It’s hard to write a blog when everything you do takes so long to finish. I have been very busy completing projects that have been in the works for years!  I have a bad habit of starting several projects simultaneously. These are  two more in line, ready to be started. I’ve washed, starched and pressed the fabric needed. Cutting will take a great deal of thought as to what pattern I use for each; plotting and planning the layout.

Cultivate kindness will go outside my door in the hall.

The quilt for my new couch.

Can’t seem to capture the color of the couch. It’s the lightest shade of the teal.

I’ve been doing a lot of hand embroidery the last few years because it’s portable and takes up very little room when I’m on the move. I take it with me when I house-sit for my son, or go to visit friends and other family. A couple of these projects traveled to Germany and back with me and I worked on them when good light was available.

Embroidered on these since before covid started. Turned out too big.

I need nine days a week. One for writing and one for gardening

This one was half embroidered by a friend who was no longer interested in completing it. It was small and appeared quite simple. Looks are definitely deceiving here. The border directions made me what to pull my hair out. ( Marlene does not follow directions well, on every report card.) It looked so simple but somehow, my brain balked. I called my son and told him if I didn’t figure out what I was doing wrong, I’d have him come and help. It was so simple and made ridiculously hard that I really want to do another and see if I can make it easier the next time. Yes, insanity runs in my family.

How hard can it be?

Finally finished

Gingerbread blessings has special instructions to color next to the embroidered lines. I bought crayons to try it but I have not been courageous enough yet to finish that part of it. I also have another one exactly like it ready to work. I’m thinking of using more colors on the next one. It felt a little boring like this but I loved it when my friend, Arlene framed hers. She does amazing work and always inspires me to try my hand at things.

Finally finished also

Should I color it?

This last one looked a lot harder than it turned out to be. I fell in love with the design and wanted it done right away. There are tiny beads at the tops of the pins and a button that give it dimension. The border turned out to be simple enough for me to finish without blue words. It needs outline stitching and after starting it, I pulled out the stitches and drew a faint line all the way around. I sew crooked…everywhere.

Still needs some work

Lines will disappear later

I’m writing this in the Senior center away from so many distractions because my apartments air conditioning is not working. Someone will be here later to see about it being repaired. I have all the coffee I can drink and I’ve had breakfast here as well. How lovely and convenient is my life!

Angie’s information desk. She gave me a free bus pass for seniors.

Cozy chair for writing, No outlets nearby.

Do you ever regret projects you start on but make yourself finish anyway?

The first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don’t. Joshua Baker

From my heart to yours,

Marlene Herself

The Answer

I’m always in search of the answer to so many questions in life but for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why I wanted to give up blogging. I made lots of excuses.

It takes so much of my time and energy was a big one. Summer is so full of other chores that each summer I struggle to find presence of mind to write intelligently.

Remember this mystery plant?

Surprise! Mystery Potatoes.

Right after my last post in June, my heat pump stopped working. It didn’t make a sound. Just died a quick silent death. I have insurance on my appliances which saved me a great deal in the end but the time line was three weeks long and we had to tough out an excessively hot week. It took two different service men to find the problem. I was a puddle in the floor unable to think or do. At first, I thought it was just the heat that was slowing me down.

At least 15 years old

Looks worse than it is

I took this life saver apart

Cleaned inside and out

Yesterday I received a card from a former blogger. We have kept in touch and even met once. Jan from momermom said someone she knew passed on the phrase “Covid Fatigue” that really resonated with both of us. I’m not sure where it came from but after almost four months of home quarantine, I found myself unable to sustain the desire to sew, write, or do basic chores.

A tired neighbor’s car. She’s obviously a nurse

We worry about every exposure and at night, sleep is fitful and brief. We can’t plan anything or hang out with friends unless it’s just a few and we’ve taken “precautions.” Everyone is trying to find ways to stay upbeat, but the fact is, it’s taking its toll on us.

I was going to put just these 8 in a wall hanging. Have been persuaded to do a 9th.

I  recently had a nice call from another friend. Linne who blogged at A  Random Harvest and she spoke to this feeling as well with ideas and encouragement. Today I read another post from Sarah at Art Expedition  that addressed how she was handling the stress of this same issue. Another blogging friend, Sue at Dreamwalker’s Sanctuary has also found this to be relevant. She’s offered much encouragement.  Most of us are using as much humor as we can muster. I’ve read through book six in my cozy mystery series that was a mix of mystery, quilting and flat funny, devouring them like they were cookies. Well, yes, I’ve been devouring cookies too. Sarah has nothing on me there.

Albizia and hydrangea need trimming.

This weekend my daughter found one of our local breakfast places was doing take out so on our way home from grocery shopping, we ordered over the phone and picked up something different than we have been eating for the last four months. A simple pleasure but it helped. I’m still not getting a whole lot of sewing projects done but the work outside is coming along nicely and everything should be ready for the four-point inspection on each house in a few weeks. That adds a bunch of stress though now that the heat is back to normal hot, I think it will go well.

Each of daughter’s projects are motivational

My daughter is finding hand embroidery helpful.

Since I realize now that I’m not just being lazy and this fatigue is something so many are experiencing, I’m relaxing a bit more between pushes to get it all done in time. Now to see if we can get the stubborn pressure washer started without pulling out my shoulder.

Tiny new hydrangea variety.

Are you itching to go play with your friends on your regular playgrounds?

From my heart to yours,

Marlene Herself

Walking Backward

We ended  another month! How does that happen and why am I  always surprised? We are all sheltering from something we can’t see so our activities are limited.

Deep purple Lily on my walk

My walks were getting a bit routine. I usually start up the hill, go around the first left corner and text my quilting friend that I’m on her street. Since she is being extra cautious, she comes out on her front porch to wave and say good morning. We have a little conversation the whole neighborhood can hear from six feet apart and she sometimes shares what she’s been quilting. It’s more fun when you can show your work to someone that appreciates it. I get there early in the mornings. (For her)

Emily likes making smaller things now. She has plenty of big and beautiful quilts

There are 3 panels to this set.

Applique flowers in a pot

Bird houses are a favorite of mine

A gift for my daughter’s birthday in April

Then I walk up another steep hill and finally start down again. I decided yesterday to go the other way since I’d left even earlier and stop at Emily’s last. Maybe she’d be awake when I got there. Changing my routine had me noticing things I had not seen going the other way. I think that applies to life in general. If we keep doing things the way we have always done them, nothing changes. Going backward changed my perspective on the neighborhood. Now I am carrying that idea into other areas of life to see what I can shake loose.

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Today I finally finished the leftover quilt and the binding is attached to the front. I’ll hand stitch it to the back while I watch TV or listen to Ted talks or YouTube. I already have a project halfway done that I can’t show yet until all of our group are ready to share. I’ve also turned over the two charity quilt tops I finished first. Emily gave them to me already cut out. I did make some changes in the fabric since some went missing. It happens.

Quilt for Tech Support.

Very much like the one I made my son 2 years ago Christmas

It’s like wrangling cats to quilt it on a home machine,

Charity quilt top done and passed on to Emily

Faces Charity quilt passed on to Emily

These pillowcases have been waiting 2 years for me to make for my daughter. Done.

I’ve learned how to use Zoom to connect with our PF support group and wave at my sister at her house. We have learned to zoom together since we can’t get together. So many are using all kinds of media to connect. It feels a little backwards too. They kept telling us before to stay off the social media and spend more time in personal contact.

Metal sculpture puppy

While I Zoom, I do what I always do when listening a long time without speaking, I work on my embroidery. I did a lot of this at PF group so I don’t fidget. Embroidery keeps me focused on what I’m hearing rather than what’s playing in my head.

slow work in progress

#6 Hoping to start #7 soon.

The weather dried up enough to get a lot of weed pulling done. I filled the green waste can up and my daughter took it off the hill for me. It gets composted by the city and I’ve worked until everything hurts and yard looks almost nice again. As the rain comes to an end here, my list of outside chores goes up.

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I’ll be posting less in the summer due to other demands. You really don’t want to see the list. Bored is not in my vocabulary. In a given day I go from one thing to the other until sleep claims me. I spend my sleep hours thinking up more things that need to be done.

I am…enjoying the moments

Do you like to change up your routine to gain new perspective on old habits?

From my heart to yours,

Marlene Herself

A Roll

It’s been a while since I’ve done any creative work. First one must dig out and put order into the space where creativity happens. There has been no shortage of projects placed in my hands in the last two months or more.

It was clean yesterday

First, here is one I finished for Christmas and forgot to photograph. My son and his wife really want to live at the beach so I made this panel up for them. They have no wall space left so it hangs in front of his desk.

Seating for two at the beach. I think it needs pressing from the shipping.

Sleeve for hanging is used with sticky to desktop.

Backing on Beach scene

Beach scene pebbles border

center of beach scene

Binding on the beach scene

Many of us have found projects we no longer chose to do so the reasonable thing is to pass them on to someone who is more inclined to finish them. I have  fabric that I’m going to pass on to a quilting acquaintance who does quilts for Veterans. I like the word ‘finish’ and hoping that’s the word for our winter as well.

Nothing to worry about

Our only snow this year

Another quilting friend gave me two sets of embroidered donkeys. Her heart was a little broken looking at them as her granddaughter thinks quilts are for old people and didn’t want one for her  baby boy. The joy of making something for her great-grandson was lost. So I will do my best to complete it and find someone that will cherish it. I did make a mistake right away by letting myself get distracted when trimming them down. They are going to be much smaller now than I originally thought.

Embroidery by Pat, sashing and border fabric

A few of the 12 embroidered squares

At our last gathering for hand sewing, Emily had each of us reach into a paper bag and pull out a 5” charm pack to make something from. A couple of us are not very creative on our own so Emily brought me a pattern to use and walked me through the first part. The wonky stars have turned out to be quite the challenge for me. Emily eventually remembered how they were done and will take me through it this week.

Emily’s assignment

My first practice house.

My 5″ charms

Coordinating fabric?

I also finished five embroidered aprons out of seven in the last year or so and am starting on the last two. I’m also hand sewing  the binding on a quilt top Emily didn’t want to finish. I put on the border, batting and back then quilted it before machine stitching the binding on to one side. Now I have simple handwork for our groups gathering.

Apron hanging laundry

Cleaning day

Baking day

Ironing day

Sewing day

Rest day

Next up Market day

I learned a lot from finishing this quilt.

Back and border are the same fabric. I almost forgot to add a sleeve to the back.

My son uses the phrase “an object in motion stays in motion” often. Let’s hope this object stays in motion once on a roll.  It will be a slow roll.

“Creativity takes courage.” –Henri Matisse–

Are you finding new momentum to roll with in this new year?

From my heart to yours,

Marlene Herself

Back in Business

It’s been a very long month and there has been so much going on that there has been little time to share any of it.

My sister brought the plants for me to grow. These are delicious.

Tech support  (my son) put in a new hard drive and I got my files downloaded from Crash Plan. It took  a week  of leaving the laptop on while it did the work. Now I must do the filing and cleanup to get everything back where it belongs. The most important part has been my photos. There will be a lot of housekeeping going on to get them backed up to several places. I had to reinstall programs that I used every day as well.

Bet you thought I was sitting on my hands here just enjoying my down time. Ha! I wish that could happen one day. Only one yard of rock in my sister’s truck. She drove, I did the shoveling.  She’s not allowed.

It didn’t take as long as I expected.

The angle has to be just right.

We had a short spell of decent temperatures that were combined with so much smoke in the air from forest fires. First the smoke came down from Canada and Washington then the wind shifted and we got smoke from southern Oregon. In the interim, I managed to get a little outside work done as well as some inside projects.

2 yards of mulch took awhile to move so the car could go in and out

This will be a bridging post for the next thing that’s been going on around here. Never a dull moment in Sleepy Hollow.

This fabric was a gift from my son when he went to Hawaii. Was it a whole year ago?

The back side.

My son brought this butterfly fabric for me from Hawaii. Had to make something we can enjoy daily.

I’ve been making sets of placemats to sell and give as gifts.

The fronts are made with 4 fat quarters

Don’t know if you can see the top stitching. No batting is used so glasses don’t wabble

all the backs are the same

 

With all the work I’ve done, there has been a lot I haven’t been able to get around to doing. My sewing room has been collecting dust for the last few weeks since before my company came and left. I have been looking at what is going to take priority in my life in the coming year. I love to make things for friends and family and will probably continue to do that on occasion but circumstances are changing and there is some writing that needs to be done sooner than later. Stories that need to be written for posterity while this old mind can still recall them.

Machine embroidered one for a gift and two spares for later

The first of many hand embroideries finally finished.

So, quilting is taking a back seat for the interim. It’s been a hard decision to make as I love all the members of my group. I think they understand. As soon as it cools down just a bit; we are expecting 99 degrees this week and close to that most other days for the next 15; I will finish up preparing the outside for winter and settle into my writing almost exclusively. Losing my laptop for even a short period of time pointed out how much I enjoy the process of writing. It feels good to be back in the business of telling stories.

African Violet loves the kitchen sink area

Do you suffer any angst from losing something you work with daily? How about setting priorities and focus?

From my heart to yours,
Marlene Herself